Parallel
by Stormy1x2
Summary: [discontinued see profile]HPGW crossover. Heero Yuy. Harry Potter. The connection between them. The world past and present may never be the same again.
1. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Strange nightmares have been keeping Heero Yuy awake at nights and he doesn't know what they mean, or what has triggered them. Then a strange man appears who seems to know Heero very well. Who is this person? Why are they so happy to see him? What's all this about magic? Who is Harry Potter – and why do they think he has something to do with his disappearance?

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

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**Prologue (19-Jul-02)**

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_Run, I'll hold him off!_

_No, not Harry! Please!_

_Avada Kedav---_

_Light flashes lighting the room with an eerie green glow. Shadows dance across a twisted, mangled wreck of what used to be a beautiful ancestral home. A giant hand reaches down and grabs you—_

_A man with two heads stares at you. One face has red eyes that seem to glare right through you. A weight in your pocket from a mirror that isn't a mirror. A scream of anguish and rage and then a wind seems to pass right through—_

_Hissing snakes. Forked serpent's tongues licking your ankles. Yet you are not afraid. For others yes, but not yourself. People hurt, maybe dying? Giant yellow eyes stare you down. A beautiful song plays in the background, healing you with liquid heat. A sword in your hand, yours but not yours. Then you're flying again—_

_A friend in wolf's clothing, a black spectre seems to be watching you. Cold chills creep up your spine when the hood falls back and silver light washes over you. He's an enemy. He's dead but not dead. He's not an enemy. Loyalties tested, who do you trust? Time is a slippery thing but death is not the end—_

_The Chosen One. Forced to play before the masses like a pet on a leash. Deceptions, who do you trust when those you believe are liars? Dragons are hunting you, dousing you with watery flames but who is with you? You won't do it alone so you will condemn another. A spare. Eyes. Eyes staring at you. Angry, accusing – it's all your fault! Knife cutting you, blood pouring forth, it hurts, it hurts, it HURTS!_

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With a sharp gasp, Heero Yuy lunged upright in bed, throwing the sheets aside. He hunched over, gasping and panting for breath, tremors running up and down his spine, a cold sweat breaking out on his pale skin. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer, his vision dancing in front of his eyes as he fought for breath.

Beside him, the bed's other occupant stirred sleepily, pulled in wakefulness by his partner's thrashing. 

" Mmm….Hee-chan?" 

Duo Maxwell cracked open sleepy violet eyes in concern as he registered the trembling coming off the Perfect Soldier in waves. His eyes widened, all trace of sleep gone as he sat up quickly, reaching out to lay a hand on his lover.

" Heero? Are you okay?" He wiggled closer as Heero turned slightly into him, concerned. " Did you have another nightmare?"

Heero nodded, not yet trusting his voice to keep from cracking if he spoke. Another nightmare. He'd had several of them over the last few weeks, since the start of the summer. He had no idea what had triggered them though. 

He had gone through most of young, terrorist life performing acts that would give most veterans cause for therapy sessions well into their seventies yet he had come out without a mental scrape. He understood the necessity of his actions, how they served the greater good. He had a few sessions of counselling to cope with whatever had been left, particularly after dealing with the White Fang group the year before. He was fine.

Then the nightmares had started. Strange dreams that seemed to chronicling a sequence of events that were too real to be fantasy, but too fantastical to be real. Dragons, wands, demon-like creatures – hell, even mermaids. He would have passed it off as just being the result of eating too many of Duo's bizarre food creations before bedtime, except for one aspect of the whole thing.

Red eyes.

Those blood red, piercing eyes that watched him from the shadows of his mind with such unveiled hatred and loathing it made him tremble involuntarily. Heero muffled a growl, sensing his partner's uneasiness and worry. He _hated_ losing control of his emotions like this – it wasn't rational! His dreams were obviously subconscious demons of the mind trying to make him feel guilty for his actions during the war, he told himself, parroting back the Preventor's psychologist that had seen him for several treatments after the Mariemaia incident. They had no business affecting him in the real world. As he repeated these words in his head, he felt himself calming down considerably. The rhythmic stroking of his arm by Duo was helping too.

" Heero?"

" I'm okay, Duo," Heero sighed, sinking back against his pillows. Opening his eyes, he looked up at his lover with a small smile that drew an even larger one in response. Smiling was still a rare event with him but it never failed to take Duo's breath away, and he smirked, knowing what usually followed. Duo didn't disappoint and Heero firmly shoved the nightmare deep into his mind, locking his mental key in place as Duo leaned down to kiss his fears away.

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End prologue 

**Feedback please?**

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	2. GW A History

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Strange nightmares have been keeping Heero Yuy awake at nights and he doesn't know what they mean, or what has triggered them. Then a strange man appears who seems to know Heero very well. Who is this person? Why are they so happy to see him? What's all this about magic? Who is Harry Potter – and why do they think he has something to do with his disappearance?

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

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Chapter 1 (20-Jul-02) 

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Heero strode briskly down the hallway, Duo right beside him, flipping his braid at random intervals at Heero's arm in a teasing manner. They were on their way to another meeting with the rest of the Preventor's inner circle regarding a possible resurrection of the White Fang group, and Heero wasn't particularly looking forward to it. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone other then Duo, but the idea of reliving what had happened had about as much appeal as watching Dorothy Catalonia perform a striptease in front of him.

The White Fang group had orchestrated the abduction of Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlian last year during a peace mission to one of the outer colonies. The kidnapping had taken place just one year after the end of a war that had spanned nearly two decades, and had threatened the very fragile peace the end of the war had brought. Heero, along with his fellow Gundam pilots had been brought out of 'retirement' to stop the group from succeeding in their plans – that being to drop one of the colonies on to the earth if their demands weren't met. Such a collision would have had the same kind of impact as the moon striking the planet, and would have killed most of the earth's population, and rendering the rest of it uninhabitable.

Heero had gone to rescue Relena. He had a kind of bond with the Minister after they had saved each other's lives during the war, and he felt obligated to be the one to save her. Duo had waved him on despite knowing how much Relena professed to love Heero, trusting his partner would return to him.

Heero shook his head as memories assaulted him. A man named Tsubarov, figure-headed by Relena's brother Mirialdo Peacecraft but going by the name Zechs Marquise, had led the White Fang. Tsubarov had used the late Oz General Trieze's daughter Mariemaia as a way of making her claim to be the true leader of the world valid in the eyes of his followers, and had even gotten Wufei Chang, Heero's fellow pilot, to follow their way of thinking for a short time before Wufei realized the error of his ways. 

The worst part of the whole ordeal, Heero reflected, was that he had been forced back into the line of fire again. The strain of firing Wing Zero's beam cannon against a massively shielded underground structure had nearly destroyed him, and then nearly firing his gun on Mariemaia, an eight year old deluded by Tsubarov had nearly traumatized his mind. Relena had taken care of him initially when he'd collapsed in the ruins of the destroyed compound, turning him over to Duo's care when the braided pilot had stormed the hospital, looking for his partner. 

That part made him smile a bit, and he looked with warm eyes at the American merrily bouncing down the hallway. Duo had his own demons about the White Fang group he knew, but the braided boy would never let anyone else know it. His mental walls were more harder to penetrate then that underground base.

" Okay Heero?"

Heero blinked as Duo waved a hand in his face. They had reached the conference room and Duo was about to open the doors but had stopped, checking his partner first.

Heero was about to nod and gesture him to go inside when a tingling feeling started at the base of his spine. He recognized it as the same kind of feeling he got when he'd had to infiltrate Oz bases during the Eve War, a kind of _spider-sense_ Duo liked to joke, that warned him when someone was either coming, or watching him. He turned around slightly, his eyes darting up and down the hallway.

Two Preventor agents in their green and grey khakis were standing by the water cooler, chatting about their recent assignments. Another agent, obviously a trainee by the plain t-shirt he wore instead of a jacket, walked quickly by, carrying a stack of papers with an expression that clearly stated_ I am in a hurry, do not stop me please._ Heero's eyes automatically flicked to the ceiling before he remembered that the Preventor Headquarters' had been based off a design that he and the other pilots had had a hand in developing, and there were no tunnels or crawlspaces anywhere in the complex big enough to crawl through, or if they did, did not go near any of the main conference halls. What few passageways remained were equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, both motion and infra-red, and they were monitored by miniature cameras twenty-four hours a day. 

Duo was watching him closely.

" What's up?"

" Just a feeling, " Heero said vaguely, still frowning as he scanned the hallway for anything strange or out of the ordinary.

" Your spider-sense is tingling, huh?" Duo's words were flip but Heero knew that his partner was now checking the situation out just as carefully. Too many missions of fighting together had taught them each other's strengths, and if Heero sensed someone around that wasn't supposed to be, Duo was prepared to take it as the gospel truth. " I'm not seeing anyone. They left?"

" I guess, " Heero said slowly. He gave one last look and then shrugged. He looked at Duo. " We haven't been on a mission in a month, I'm probably seeing things."

Duo nodded. " Cabin fever," he proclaimed. " You have too much free time." His eyes gleamed. " I'll have to make sure to keep you busy from now on."

Heero chuckled quietly and gave him a light shove. " The meeting?"

" Yeah, yeah, yeesh! No pushing!" Duo pretended to stumble into the meeting room, falling to the ground in an undignified heap. Heero shook his head. A black boot clad foot nudged Duo in the side.

" Did you finally kill him?" asked a familiar voice.

Duo snorted, even though his face was still firmly planted into the marble floor. " You wish, Wuffers."

Wufei Chang grimaced at the nickname, stepped over Duo's prone form and greeted Heero with a firm handshake. " Heero. "

" Wufei." Heero nodded respectfully. Duo grunted from the floor.

" Oh that's nice. Everyone just ignore poor widdle Duo even though he's abused and left for dead on the cold, hard ground."

Musical laughter came from across the room, and a blonde boy with bright blue eyes bounded over to Duo's side, reaching down to grip Duo's outstretched arm and tugging him upright.

" I'll help you Duo!" He grinned, struggling to lug the American all the way to his feet. Duo made a huge show of how difficult it was to move when you were at death's door.

" Thanks Quatre!" Duo mock-sniffled, throwing his arms around the Arabian. " I always knew I loved you."

" Ahem." 

" Like a brother," Duo amended quickly. He grinned. " Hi Trowa. Miss me?"

Trowa Barton chuckled and reached for Quatre, sliding his arm around him and steering him back to their seats. Duo threw his braid back over his shoulder and surveyed the room with a large grin.

" Morning everyone!"

A chorus of "Good morning Duo," rang out. Wufei reclaimed his seat by his girlfriend, Major Sally Po, much to Duo's amusement. The stickler-for-rules Wufei falling for the maverick-masquerading-as-a-proper-soldier had been a constant source of entertainment for him but the level two death glare Sally was shooting his way, even if her eyes were smiling, made him decide to use discretion for the day. His buddy Hilde Schebecker waved somewhat distractedly before turning back to her newspaper – Duo knew she was reading the comics and trying not to giggle out loud. Lieutenant Noin sat in her customary place next to Zechs. Duo was expecting the announcement that they were getting married, any day now. The two were practically joined at the hip, and neither ever considered going on a job without the other.

Noin waggled her fingers at Duo. " Duo? Love?" Her tone was hopeful and Duo recognized it instantly.

" No Noin, you can make your own coffee," He deadpanned. The black-haired woman pouted. 

" I can't recreate that blend you make!" she growled. " And you've been off for three days – I need my fix, damnit!"

" Ahh…it's all clear to me now," Duo nodded, grinning. " I'm only wanted when something _else_ is wanted." He shook his head sadly. " You're using me."

" Didn't we have a meeting to get down to?" Wufei asked, settling back in his chair a bit. He drummed his fingers on the polished oak table idly. Zechs nodded.

" We're just waiting for the remote feed from Sanq," he explained. Lady Une confirmed his words with a nod.

" Since the events of last year, Vice Minister Dorlian has taken a special interest in any information involving the White Fang."

" You know, you can call me Relena, Lady Une."

Yet another chorus of hellos rang out as the wide screen on the sidewall flickered into existence and the familiar face of Relena Dorlian appeared. Duo whistled.

" Wow….they say the camera adds ten pounds, but this screen adds about six feet!" Assorted groans and random objects including pens, pencils, paper balls and one Styrofoam coffee cup that _had_ to be Noin's were thrown in his direction. On screen, Relena laughed.

" Hello Duo." Her eyes fell on the person next to him. " Heero."

" I trust we can get this meeting underway then?" There were nods all around. " Good…"

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" Well, that was enlightening," Duo chirped, jamming his black cap down on his head and waving goodbye to their friends who were off to do their own work for the day. The hat was a violation of the dress code that all Preventor agents were required to follow, but as a member of the Inner Circle and an ex-Gundam pilot to boot, not too many people were brave enough to approach the American to tell him to remove it. " None of those figures match, you know."   
  
" I know," Heero sighed with exasperation. The splinter group of 'the new White Fang' as it had been dubbed, claimed to have many of its former leaders still in place even though Zechs had confirmed that nearly all of the top brass had been imprisoned the following year. " I don't know where White Fang is getting it's intel and it's ammo from then, if they're not telling the truth."   
  
" I think it's a case of crying wolf and watching the people jump." Duo tugged at his braid automatically, his eyes thoughtful as they walked. " These guys aren't as powerful as the real deal but they want to create the illusion that they are, so that we're more likely to give them what they want."   
  
Heero nodded; he had come to pretty much the same conclusion during the meeting. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to them and the two agents turned as one to see Lady Une stalking down the hallway after them, waving a fistful of papers.   
  
" Oui Madam?" Duo asked, bowing formally. Lady Une stifled a reluctant smile.   
  
The former first commander of Oz under the reign of General Trieze was a strict taskmaster, tough as nails and utterly fearless. She had been known to strike fear in the hearts of her enemies, all the while projecting a ladylike air as per Trieze's wishes. But underneath the cool exterior was someone who fought tooth and nail for what she believed in, and Duo and Heero both knew that the Preventers Agency was something she was proud of, that she would fight to the death for. She was a lady worthy of both Gundam pilots respect. That still didn't save her from the sarcasm and wit that was Duo Maxwell though, and truth be told, she wouldn't have it any other way. So many people saw her as the top brass around the place and forgot she was still a person. The Gundam pilots were her equals, and in acknowledging that very important fact, she had won all of their respect.   
  
However, some procedures still had to be followed.   
  
" You two haven't reported to the firing range for practise in nearly five days," she admonished them, showing them the training reports for proof. Duo blinked.   
  
" We've been off for three of those days, Lady," he pointed out.   
  
" No excuse! It should be a daily thing Maxwell - and you haven't done it yet today, have you?"   
  
" We were just on our way," Heero said calmly. Lady Une snorted, tucking the papers back into the folder under her arm.   
  
" Of course you were," she said resignedly. " I give up. Just go already, would you please?"   
  
" Anything for a lady!" Quick as lightning, Duo darted in and kissed her cheek before turning and snagging Heero's arm, dragging him full-speed down the hallway and through the door to the stairwell before the stunned Lady could do more then gape at him like a landed fish. Heero allowed himself to be propelled down the three flights of stairs before reclaiming his arm.   
  
" I think we're out of range."   
  
" You can never tell," Duo said, looking behind him and back up the stairs furtively.   
  
" One day you're going to be cited for doing stuff like that."   
  
" So?"   
  
Heero finally grinned. The two of them entered the basement level and walked into the firing range that had been constructed inside. There were only a few people firing but if they stayed there long enough, Heero knew eventually they'd see nearly everyone from the meeting. None of them were paper jockeys, each preferring the action and adrenalin of being out on the street rather then the wild fun of filing. When there was a lull in missions, everyone seemed to converge on the firing range.   
  
Sergeant Smith saw them coming and greeted them heartily. Smith was one of Sally Po's old-school soldiers who had saved her life on several occasions, thereby winning they're respect plus the eternal gratitude of one Wufei Chang who had only once made the comment that he was " _glad someone had been there to baby-sit the woman and keep her from killing herself when I wasn't around_." Smith was a big, burly man, all muscle and quite a few brains to boot. He respected Heero and everyone liked Duo so it was fairly easy for Heero to convince Smith to let him use his own collection of weapons, forgoing the paperwork associated with using the ones provided. His weapon, given to him years ago by Doctor J, was unregistered and untraceable, a fact that annoyed Lady Une to no end.   
  
" Lane three's open boys."   
  
" Thanks Smitty!" Duo accepted the gun that Smith handed him, a Smith and Wesson 22a that Duo had become accustomed to after losing his in a mission several months before. He had been requisitioned a new one but Duo claimed it didn't have as much character as the range weapons. Heero would just nod, not bothering to argue with Duo-logic. Duo-logic only ever made sense to Duo.   
  
Heero went first. Slipping the earmuffs on, he stepped into the small booth, pulling the goggles down. Privately, he had complained about having to wear the protective gear. After all, no one had given him muffs and goggles in the field. Lady Une had put her foot down and told him to humour her. The paper target flipped down and Heero squeezed the trigger rapidly. Several seconds later, the paper came swinging back and he looked at his score. Perfect. Duo snorted.   
  
" Show off." Duo stepped up to take his turn. His score came back: 95%. He mock-glared at Heero. " You distracted me!"   
  
" How?"   
  
" You look dead sexy in a uniform," Duo informed him so matter-of-factly that Heero had to laugh. Minutes later when his second score came back, he saw that he had only scored a ninety, unable to concentrate fully with Duo's comment running through his head. Duo snickered at the look on his partner's face. " See? Method to my madness and all that."   
  
" I bet Wufei would be interested to hear about your method. I think he's under the impression you subscribe to the chaos theory just avoid getting the blame for the things you do."   
  
" Wufei's smarter then he looks," Duo nodded, grinning. Several rounds later, they dropped their scores off with Smith who whistled at them, impressed as always, before heading to one of the side ranges that had been set up at Trowa and Duo's request. It was a larger target, a bulls-eye much like the ones used in archery. Duo reached into his boots and pulled out two wicked-looking daggers, the polished ebony handles gleaming in the light. Hefting one in his hand, he squinted down at the target and hurled it, followed quickly by the second. A third and fourth appeared from sheaths on his forearms hidden by his jacket and the fifth and final dagger slid out of the extra compartment in his gun holster. Checking the all clear, he strode over to the target and checked the bulls-eye. Top, bottom, left, right and dead centre. He grinned up at Heero who made a show of applauding.   
  
" I may not have the perfect aim when it comes to guns, but knives are my domain."   
  
Duo pulled the weapons back out and put them away. " Still got it," he sighed with satisfaction. He looked up. " Are we done here?"   
  
Heero nodded. " We just had the meeting. I finished our paperwork from the last mission the last time we were in."   
  
Duo ticked off his fingers. " I double checked the info I got from my contacts that Lady Une wanted from that shipping company she thinks might be smuggling illegal leftover mobile dolls and forwarded that off. Email checked, bins checked and we got paid the right amount this week so we have no more issues to take up with payroll." Which was a good thing - the payroll people would probably never be the same again after having an irate Heero brandishing a gun at them for missing two days. He cocked his head to one side. " By Jove, I do believe we're all caught up!"   
  
Heero was about to suggest that they catch a light lunch before working out for the afternoon until Lady Une and Noin came after them with a new mission when that annoying tingling started up again. The feeling of being watched secretly.   
  
He growled, turning around in a complete circle. No one was watching them. Duo eyed him with concern.   
  
" Your mystery spy's back again?"   
  
" Yeah," Heero grunted. " And it's driving me nuts."   
  
Duo looked the room over but couldn't see anything amiss. Shrugging, he laid a hand on his partner's arm. " Forget it Heero. You'll catch whatever it is eventually." He rubbed his stomach with his free hand. " But my stomach's gonna chew a hole through my spine if I don't feed it soon."   
  
Heero nodded and reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled to the cafeteria. But he couldn't shake the feeling, and all through lunch and the afternoon, he felt invisible eyes following him wherever he went.   
  
*~*~*~*~*   
  
It was a reoccurring nightmare. Both the dreams and his life. Heero thought quite frankly he was going crazy, and when he mentioned it to Duo, the braided boy merely grinned and said it would be nice to have company. But his joking facade couldn't cover up the worry in his eyes over his partner's behaviour.   
  
The dreams were coming with alarming frequency, waking him up nearly every night now, leaving him shaking. While he did his work during the day, the idea of someone watching him refused to go away and he found himself snapping at shadows, whirling around, thinking he'd caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye only to be confronted with emptiness. Quatre had openly expressed his concern; Trowa would check on him - even Wufei's eyes were showing concern. Duo was even starting to show signs of stress as well, waking up each time Heero did to calm him back into sleep, and helping him look for the invisible watchers. Heero was positive he was losing his mind.   
  
Then finally, nearly two weeks after the first time he'd felt those eyes on him, his silent stalker approached him. And that's when the world he knew began to fall apart.   
  


  
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**End chapter 1**

**Feedback?**  
  
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	3. Enter Sirius Black

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Strange nightmares have been keeping Heero Yuy awake at nights and he doesn't know what they mean, or what has triggered them. Then a strange man appears who seems to know Heero very well. Who is this person? Why are they so happy to see him? What's all this about magic? Who is Harry Potter – and why do they think he has something to do with his disappearance?

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

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Chapter 2 (21-Jul-02) 

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It was about a week later when the strange man approached him. Heero had been working late the past few nights, trying to wear himself out a bit as a way of possibly getting more sleep without resorting to drugs or the Louisville slugger Duo kept hinting at in the closet. 

The sun was nearly set by the time he had cleared most of the paperwork on his desk. The thing about being caught up on your work one day, meant it was just as quick to stockpile the next day. Heero had had a very strange yet vivid dream about little elf-like creatures coming into his office in the middle of the night without anyone seeing them and erasing all of his hard work, starting him back at the beginning of the paper pile. The mass amount of work that seemed to grow exponentially almost had him convinced that the elf-creatures were real except for the fact that in his dreams they were led by Duo who thought it the greatest prank ever when in real life, the American was starting to gripe about how much time Heero had begun spending away from home.

Heero pushed the last stack of papers to the side and stood up, stretching slowly. Glancing over, he stifled a smile at the sight of his lover curled up on the small couch that lined one room of his office, fast asleep. Duo had his own office across the hall but preferred to spend his free time – and most of his not-so-free time in Heero's where the paper and junk piles weren't yet high enough to be called a potential fire hazard. Heero walked around the large desk and stopped over him, reaching out with one hand to shake him awake.

" Come on Duo…your bed's waiting at home…OUR bed's waiting at home…" he let his voice trail off, laughing quietly as Duo licked his lips before opening his eyes.

" I heard that," he yawned sleepily. " No fair teasing, Yuy."

Heero shrugged and pulled him to his feet. As he did so, he casually whirled around, his gun appearing in his hand like magic. Duo mimicked his movements exactly, trusting Heero's instincts implicitly. The two pressed against the wall.

" Whoever's out in the hallway, drop whatever weapons you have and put your hands in the air." Heero's voice was like an arctic wind, cold and impossibly chilly. There was a surprised gasp from the hallway and then an amused voice called back.

" I'm not armed."

" Uh-huh," Heero muttered. The voice told him approximately where their surprise guest was. With a nod to Duo, Heero took a deep breath and then launched himself out the door, rolling across the hallway and coming to a stop on one knee, his gun cocked and aimed at the intruder who had their hands in the air. " Don't move. Duo?"

Duo stepped out of the office, the brim of his cap pulled down over his eyes and his gun pointed unwaveringly at the man before him. " Who are you?"

The person had his eyes fastened on Heero like a starving man at a feast. " It's really you…"

Heero rolled his eyes at the clichéd line and studied the man. He was dressed oddly, covered in long, dark robes. His hair was long and black, hanging in loose waves around his pale face. His eyes were like burnt coals, staring at Heero with such intensity, the perfect soldier could feel it from there. He kept his gun trained.

" Name?" He asked coldly, making a show of squeezing the trigger lightly.

" S-Sirius Black." The man licked his lips, looking a little stunned. " You…"

" Duo, call security." Heero eyed the man, deciding he didn't look very dangerous. He relaxed on the trigger and put the safety back on before tucking it in the waistband of his uniform.

" Right." Duo turned around but the man called out.

" Wait!"

" What?" Duo spun back around, exasperated. " You break in, we kick you out. But Lady Une has been on our backs about following procedures lately, so instead of dropkicking you out the window, you should be grateful we're getting security to manhandle your ass. Capiche?"

" I need to talk to you," Sirius said calmly. The initial shock that had stunned him seemed to be wearing off and he straightened a bit. Heero's eyes watched him like a hawk. " Please. Just give me five minutes of your time."

" Your call, Hee-chan." Duo put a hand on the office door, looking back at the Perfect Soldier. 

Heero studied the man intently. He seemed desperate to talk to them, his hands kept twisting and wringing. His eyes were bright and intelligent but they shone with an excitement that reminded Heero of when Duo found a missing issue for his comic collection. He nodded once, curtly.

" Five minutes."

" My name is Sirius Black," he repeated. " Do you remember me?"

Heero's eyes narrowed. " I don't know who you are," he said shortly. " And I'm not in the mood for guessing games. Four minutes."

" I can't believe you don't remember me…but Albus did say the spell would have caused disorientation…but it shouldn't be like…." The man rambled to himself for a few minutes and Heero exchanged a raised eyebrow with Duo. Sirius looked back up. " Well, do you know who YOU are?"

Duo let out a laugh. " Oh that's rich. Well, Hee-chan? Do you?"

Heero calmly reached over and smacked the back of Duo's head. " Heero Yuy. Preventor first-class, and not so pleased to meet you."

The man suddenly smiled as though he gained some kind of understanding. " I see."

" See what?" Heero growled, starting to sound frustrated. " Who are you? Why have you been following me? You have three minutes and then to hell with procedures!"

" That proves it then," Sirius said softly. " That you could detect me even though I was using…or maybe because of it." He smiled at Heero. " I'm sorry, it's just that I was so sure you'd recognize me once I revealed myself. You're Harry Potter. Do you remember now?"

Heero was now certain the man had lost it. " I'm who?"

" Harry Potter. Boy-who-lived. My godson."

Duo made the sign of a crazy person, circling his head with his index finger. Heero was hard-pressed to disagree. " Uh-huh. Duo, call security."

" Wait!" Sirius took a step forward and Heero reached behind his back for his gun. Duo had his out again.

" Don't move."

" Wait, please! I wasn't expecting you to not recognize me! But it is you, you're Harry Potter! The saviour of England! The tracking spells kept leading me to you but the fact that you look so different kept throwing me off!"

" You're one loony bird," Duo said. He jerked his head at Heero. " Saviour of the world I could buy, seeing as how he pulled that stunt off last year. But _Harry_?  England? Does he look British to you?"

" That's what threw me off," Sirius admitted somewhat sheepishly. " But he is Harry Potter. I have a story to tell you that will prove it if you'll let me."

" You have two minutes left." Heero said calmly. Sirius shrugged.

" Fine. I'll get you back for this when your memory returns." He locked gazes with him. "You're a wizard."

" A…what?" Of all things he was possibly expecting the madman to say, this was the least of them. 

" A wizard. With magic and everything. That's how you were able to sense me over the last few days."

" Well, if you're the one that's been making Heero so jumpy the last few days, then I owe you some payback of my own," Duo said with a growl. " Do you know how much work it is tailing after Heero when he thinks he's seeing things? It's bad enough staying awake all bloody night—"

" That's right," Sirius said in wonder. His gaze jumped from Heero to Duo and then back again. " I forgot. You two are…together, aren't you?"

Duo glared at him. " And if we are, so what? You got a problem with that?"

" If you think I'm saying yes to that when both of you are pointing what I assume are loaded weapons at me, then you're crazier then I am," Sirius said flatly.

Duo looked at him oddly for a minute and then burst out laughing. Heero blinked in surprise as Duo put his gun away and motioned for Heero to do the same. " Oh come on Heero – if he was going to do anything, he would have done it by now. He seems okay to me." He whipped his head at Sirius. " Except for the tracking thing. But you were about to explain that, weren't you?"

" Of course," Sirius nodded, looking relieved.

Heero waited another second before nodding and putting his gun away again. It went against every procedural rule Lady Une had ever written and passed out but then he and Duo were no strangers to rule breaking. And Duo had a knack for reading people. It wasn't like Quatre's space heart that made him mildly empathic, but it was enough that Heero trusted his partner's judgement. He motioned towards the office. " Inside." 

" Fair enough." Keeping his hands where the two agents could see them, Sirius entered the office and took the chair in front of Heero's desk. Heero took his own seat and Duo perched himself on the edge of the desk, folding his arms and watching their guest with interest.

" Speak now or forever hold your Reece's," he quipped. 

" Reece's?" Sirius furrowed his brow before his face lit with understanding. " Ahh yes…a muggle candy, right?"

" Muggle?"

Sirius chuckled. " It's part of the story I have to tell you." But instead of getting on with it, he stared at Heero who actually twitched under the scrutiny, drawing a snicker from Duo.

" Why do you keep staring at me?"

" You didn't hear what I said, did you?" Sirius said softly. " You're my godson, among other things. I got little enough time with you before this whole mess started, and now you don't even know who I am."

Harry felt his insides twist, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Duo give him a sympathetic look. Heero was no stranger to hardship. He had grown up under the supervision and tutelage of a man who treated him as a very valuable science experiment. His real name was a mystery, as was his parentage – if he even had parents. As far as he knew, Doctor J had taken a page out of the Winner family book and had just brewed him up ala test tube and plunked him down in front of a mobile suit simulator as soon as he hatched. While he had come to terms with it years ago, especially with the help of Duo who had told him in no uncertain terms that your background didn't matter – it was your current actions that did, it was still a sore point of contention with him. Sometimes he preferred to think he'd been genetically engineered – he didn't think he'd ever want to know that his biological parents had given him to a mad scientist to be trained as a killer.

" I don't have any parents, let alone a godfather," he said steadily, flatly. Sirius flinched.

" Yes you do. Well, did, at any rate." He winced. " Your parents…died, many years ago, when you were just a baby. They had named me your godfather."

" Are we starting at the beginning here? Duo questioned, looking confused. " Wouldn't Heero know if any of this were true?"

" Not if I was a baby," Heero shrugged. Sirius blinked.

" But that's just it – you should have your memories. I mean, you've only been missing about six weeks at the most—"

" Okay, now you've lost me." Duo threw up his hands. Heero's eyes narrowed again.

" Impossible. Six weeks ago we were on…assignment. I do not recall seeing you, nor do I have anything in my memory regarding my parents, if I in fact had any."

Sirius gave him an odd look. " Of course you have parents. Everyone has parents."

" Not unless you have genetic donors and a lab capable of cloning," Duo deadpanned. " Otherwise I'm going to have to have a chat with Quatre about his father – the man deserves a post-humus award for living life to the fullest if all those kids came _naturally_."

Sirius didn't look like he understood but he nodded anyway. " Right…"

" You said you were going to explain yourself." Heero was tired of beating around the bush. " Get on with it."

Sirius sighed. " I don't even know where to begin."

" The beginning is usually a good place," Duo volunteered." And when you get to the end, stop."

Sirius finally chuckled. " Sounds like a plan. Harry – uh, Heero, you were born Harry Potter to James and Lily Potter sixteen years ago. They, along with Remus Lupin, were my closest friends in the world – family, really. I would have done anything for them, but when you were born, they named ME your godfather. " His eyes softened. " You were such a happy baby – always smiling and laughing…"

" Heero?" Duo goggled. " Surely you jest." But he reached down and gripped Heero's hands, which had suddenly gone cold, rubbing his knuckles gently.

" He was," Sirius protested. " He was my little partner in crime – James used to complain that I came over to visit Harry and not him or Lily." He smiled. " He was partially right. Lily swore I was going to spoil you rotten.

" But like everything else that's perfect, it didn't last. In the wizarding world—"

" Wizard?" Duo interrupted.

" Didn't you hear me say that? I told you, Heero's a wizard. You might be too – you've got a strange aura around you," Sirius told him, frowning. " In the wizarding world was a dark wizard named Voldemort but people tended to call him You-Know-Who out of fear that saying his name would call his attention to them."

" Garbage," Heero snorted. " And fantasy too, but that is garbage."

Sirius smiled. " At least one thing hasn't changed…Anyway, Voldemort had a legion of supporters known as Death Eaters and they were terrorizing both the wizard and the muggle world."

" There's that word again," Duo pointed out.

" I'm sorry – a muggle is what we call a person with no magic. Voldemort hated muggle-born wizards and their families and was on a killing streak." Sirius's eyes darkened. " And one night, he came after James and Lily."

" My so-called parents were muggles?" Heero asked. He tried to remain aloof but something had clicked in his memory. The story Sirius was reciting at him had the sound of being an old one, as though he'd told it many times. Perhaps he'd interrogated too many people and just instinctively knew when people were lying to him, but he had the feeling that whatever the truth was, Sirius honestly believed what he was saying. Heero tried to push back the growing sense of unease building inside of him and nodded at Sirius. " Go on."

" Your mum was, Har—sorry, Heero. Your father came from a long line of wizards, a pureblood to the fullest extent." Sirius smiled. " He got in ten kinds of trouble when he married Lily, let me tell you."

" Uh-huh." Heero exchanged another look with Duo. 

" Anyway, Voldemort came after you and your parents." Sirius closed his eyes. " Your parents had been expecting this to some extent. There was a prophecy that spoke vaguely of their offspring causing the fall of the Dark Lord. Normally, such prophecies are regarded as gibberish – Divination was never very seriously taken – but Voldemort wasn't known for letting things like that go. The Potters needed to be protected, and so Albus Dumbledore – the headmaster of Hogwarts, a famous school for wizards – taught them the Fidelius Charm to choose a Secret Keeper.

Having a Secret Keeper meant that no matter what, was done, the person being protected couldn't be found or detected by any means unless the Secret Keeper told where they were. That meant even if James and Lily had been standing right next to Voldemort, he wouldn't even know they were there unless their Secret Keeper told them."

Sirius took a deep breath. " I was supposed to be their Secret Keeper."

The dark sadness seemed to radiate from Sirius; one didn't need to be an empath to feel the sorrow in the room. Heero was surprised to feel his heart racing, lub-dubbing so hard he was surprised it wasn't flying out of his chest. He took a deep breath. 

" And?"

"  And I made the stupidest mistake of my worthless life!" Sirius snarled. Sorrow turned to self-hatred in an instant and angry tears welled up. Heero and Duo both blinked in surprise.

" What did you do?" Heero asked after a minute. 

" I convinced James and Lilly not to make me their Secret Keeper, " Sirius spat out, closing his eyes tightly. " I was their best friend – surely Voldemort would have known I'd be their first choice. I asked them to make another _friend_—" Sirius spat the word out as though it tasted foul in his mouth. "—their Secret Keeper. Peter Pettigrew. Peter had been a part of our group for years – me, James, Remus and Peter. We were known as the Marauders – notorious pranksters extraordinaire. I never in a million years thought Peter would betray James like he did. Me yes, Remus possibly – but James and Lily?" Sirius clenched his fists. " That little rat told Voldemort where they were and he went after them."

" So that's how they died?" Duo asked.

" Yes. James was killed first. He tried to fend Voldemort off long enough to let Lily escape with you Har-Heero. But he couldn't do it and Voldemort your parents."

" Even if I considered believing any of this, why didn't he kill me too?" Heero asked sceptically. " Especially since I was reportedly prophesied to be his downfall."

" Your mother sacrificed her life for you. You told me yourself how she begged for him to spare your life." Sirius smiled faintly. " The power of love is a serious thing, Heero. Your mother's love for you protected you. When Voldemort tried to kill you using one of the forbidden Curses, it rebounded off you, striking Voldemort, weakening him so much that for the next eleven years, he was thought to be dead."

Duo shook his head admiringly. " You've got one hell of an imagination buddy, I'll give you that much. This sounds better then one of my comic books--"

" Green lightning…"

" Huh?" Duo turned to see Heero staring at his desktop, his eyes distant, his face pale. Instantly he shimmied off the desk and crouched next to Heero's seat, gripping the Japanese pilot's hands in his. " Heero?"

" Green lightning…laughter…" Heero slowly lifted his head, his eyes completely confused. Duo glanced back at Sirius and saw him watching Heero with a hopeful expression, his eyes pleading. He turned back. Pale skin and wide blank eyes were signs of shock on a normal person. On Heero they were cause for full-scale panic. Duo could recall several cases of broken limbs and extreme blood loss that had made the medical staff toss their cookies but had barely warranted a grunt from Heero before he demanded the return of his laptop so he could write the injury report himself. Heero just didn't go into shock – or at least, not from hearing the story of a crazy person.

" Heero, talk to me." He turned Heero's head to face him, meeting his eyes sternly. " No blanking out Soldier Boy. What's going on?"

Heero looked at him with wide eyes. " He's describing the beginning of my nightmare."

Duo blinked. That was something new. He was of course familiar with the night terrors that had been plaguing the other boy for the past few weeks but Heero had never given him any details. He would simply wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath and trembling hard enough to make the whole damn bed vibrate. Duo found the easiest solution was to rub his back soothingly – something he knew no one had ever done for him before, reminding him of where he was and soothing him back into sleep. Heero may have been the Perfect Soldier all his life – but in the middle of the night when the shadows on the wall seemed to come to life, there simply was no substitute for genuine, reassuring human contact.

He proved this theory by taking his free hand that Heero wasn't returning a death grip on, and rubbing it in soothing circles along his spine. True to form, he felt the iron muscles loosen somewhat, and some of the colour came back into his face.

" You with me now?" Heero nodded, looking vaguely embarrassed at forgetting himself. Duo ignored it. " Good. Now, what's this about green lightning?"

" In my dream – it's like he said." Heero gestured at Sirius. " Someone – I don't know who, has red eyes like those bright contacts you wear sometimes – points a stick at me and shouts at me. I think it was Latin. Then green lightning flashes out of the stick and then my dream jumps to the next scene, so to speak." He blinked, surprised at himself for rambling. Duo was looking at him a little oddly but there was more concern radiating from him then anything else. 

" You're dreaming of the night your parents were killed," Sirius nodded, his eyes still wide. " I found you and gave you to Hagrid who took you to Dumbledore. He and another Professor took you to your mother's sister's house and she and her husband raised you until you turned eleven and came to Hogwarts." Heero came back to himself with a start, and he glared at Sirius.

" Wouldn't you think I'd know if this were true or not? Mother's sister – who are you talking about? I was raised, if you can call it that, by Odin Lowe to be an assassin, and then by Doctor J to be a Gundam pilot. When I was eleven I was in Japan being hooked up to Gundam flight simulators and being worked on, on the genetic level, so I could handle Wing Zero. My Gundam. The mobile suit I spent the next four years piloting until the end of the war marked its destruction!" Heero was trembling again. Something inside his head was pulsing, fighting to break free of whatever restraints were in there and he was deathly afraid of what it was. The green lightning was flashing behind his eyes in mockery. " Magic, Dumbledore, Hog's warts – me having parents! I think we should have just called security from the very beginning!"

Duo had pulled his hand free from Heero's death grip and Heero's other hand was crushing the arm of his chair, leaving finger-shaped grooves in the plastic. Duo was watching him with wide eyes, and Heero couldn't blame him.

Heero had always been the very model of self-restraint. He had never needed to be unusually vocal before – his intimidating demeanour complete with his icy blue gaze that Duo had labelled his death glare, and his gun that he could make appear virtually from thin air were more threatening then any words could ever be. He was not given to chattering, and for the longest time, preferred solitude to company, where he didn't have to speak continuously. It had taken Duo a long time to break through the walls Heero had erected around himself, keeping the outside world at bay. A long time of talking, sometimes endlessly to the sound of his own voice when Heero refused to talk back. A long time of dragging Heero out of the safe houses they holed up in, and later on, the apartment they shared so that Heero could 'learn to be sociable', Duo called it. A long time of deciphering the grunts, Japanese phrases and monosyllabic answers that made up 'Heero speech'. Sometimes Heero thought about the patience and determination Duo had shown in trying to get through to him, and it honestly moved him that someone could care so much about another human being, let alone him. For Duo to hear Heero snap and ramble away at a perfect stranger, it had to be like something out of the twilight zone. 

Heero took several deep breaths, focusing on calming down. He was reminded of watching Wufei control his breathing during his mediation at one of Quatre's residences, and he used that as a focal point, drawing the air in, holding it in for a second, and then releasing it, envisioning the tension draining out of him. It worked. A minute late, he opened his eyes, feeling a bit better. He smiled awkwardly at Duo.

" Gomen nasai.[i]"

" Nan demo nai,[ii]" Duo waved at him. The concern hadn't left his expressive violet eyes but the outward alarm had subsided. Sirius looked at them, confused.

" What did you say?" 

Duo looked at him calculatingly. " That was Japanese. I know some, but Heero is fluent." He smirked. " Kinda puts a damper on the whole 'Heero is British' thing, doesn't it?"

Sirius frowned. " Something's not right."

" Well, DUH! I could have told you that – in fact, I did, we _both_ did, come to think of it." Duo glared and stood up straight. 

" Look, it's been a barrel of monkeys but I think you better scram before I decide to do the right thing and have someone haul you away. I don't know why you're trying to upset Heero but—"

" Please! If I offer you proof, will you come with me?" Sirius interrupted the American, rising himself. " This needs to be sorted out, and quite quickly. There's someone who can check everything but we have to go to him."

" Proof?"

" Of what I've been telling you. Of magic, of Harry, of the scar Voldemort's attack left on his forehead - everything."

" What scar?" Heero brushed the fringe of his bangs back and Duo scrutinized his brow. " There's nothing there."

Sirius smiled. " It's there – it's just hidden." He pulled a long, slender stick out of his robes. Duo eyed it carefully.

" What's that?"

" My wand." Sirius chuckled at the surprised look on Duo's face. " May I?"

Heero shrugged. Sirius muttered something under his breath and a swirl of sparks breezed gently out his wand. They soared through the air, caressing Heero's face, gentle as a lover's kiss before disappearing into thin air. Duo blinked and did a double take.

" Holy shit!"

Heero felt a tingling on his forehead and reached up. His fingers brushed against an uneven mark on his brow, of what felt like half-healed scar tissue and he turned to Duo who gaped at him. He grabbed Duo's wrist and pulled it forward, looking into the shiny surface of his watch. A jagged lightning bolt-shaped scar now graced his once perfect skin. 

" How did you do that?" Duo asked, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice.

" Magic," Sirius said quietly. He reached under his robes again and pulled out a silvery grey blanket. " And this is another type of magic."

He twirled the material around his shoulders and his entire body disappeared from view. His seemingly decapitated head floated in mid-air, watching them with undisguised amusement. Duo was goggling at him, his earlier animosity forgotten, and Heero was frozen in his seat. Somehow, he'd known what that blanket was, what it could do. Somehow he knew that the story Sirius had been telling them wasn't all fabrication. 

Suddenly, for the first time he could remember, Heero was afraid.

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End Chapter 2 

**Additional Notes:  For those of you screaming at the top of your heads about Harry being British and therefore can't possibly be Japanese, all will be explained later on. For those of you who are suffering from terminal impatience, all I can say is that this was indeed inspired by something that can be summed up in one word: Psylocke. Take that as you will (or do your own research) but that's the only hint you get.******

**Feedback?**

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[i] I'm sorry

[ii] Nothing; it was/is nothing


	4. Adventures in Apparating

Parallel  
  
A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairings: 1x2 (more to be announced)  
  
Summary: A strange man has confronted Heero. Why does he think Heero is Harry Potter? What's all this nonsense about magic? And what's the deal with Duo?  
  
Warnings: Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)  
  
Spoilers: TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP) Endless Waltz (GW)  
  
Additional Notes: Regarding the Psylocke hint last chapter, I'll give the few of you who emailed me a break. I didn't realize that so many Marvel fans were out of the loop on character origins. ^^ Psylocke is a Japanese ninja. But she was born and raised as Betsy Braddock - blonde, blue-eyed, British and quite frail. Now, how she became the Japanese, purple-haired, dark-eyed kick-ass fighter she is now.well, again, you'll have to look that up. I'd be, not giving up the entire plot of my fic, but giving you too much information too soon. ^^  
  
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Chapter 3()  
  
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It was typical Duo behaviour, really. The cape had barely settled about Sirius's shoulders before Duo was instantly at his side, begging to try it out for himself. Despite the fear that Heero could feel, like an alien presence tickling the back of his neck, he couldn't help but smirk at sight of the sixteen year old former terrorist begging the very same person he'd just threatened to turn over to the authorities. Heero had said it before and he'd say it again: those puppy eyes should be illegal. He'd never known how to fight against them.  
  
Apparently, Sirius didn't know what to make of it either; he glanced back at Heero with a grin and laughingly let Duo take control of the cloak. Duo whooped and twirled it around himself, laughing crazily as his body disappeared.  
  
" This is so COOL!" He grinned wildly at Heero. " Man, do you know how many jobs I could have pulled off a HELL of a lot easier if I had had this baby?"  
  
Sirius stepped back and wound up next to Heero. Casting him a sidelong look, he nodded at Duo knowingly.  
  
" That proves it then."  
  
" Proves what?" Heero watched as Duo alternated between covering his arm and uncovering it, watching the tanned flesh disappear, reappear, disappear, and reappear.  
  
" That he's got some magic in him as well," Sirius explained. " Not as much as you by any means, but I'm guessing he's no squib. If he were a muggle, that would just be an ordinary silver-colored cloak to him." He folded his arms, an amused grin playing about his lips as he watched Duo play with the cloak. " Do you know who his parents are?"  
  
Heero froze. Across the office, Duo stopped what he was doing, lifting his head and staring at Sirius. " What did you say?"  
  
" I was just asking Har-Heero," Sirius shook his head as he corrected himself yet again. "-who your parents were. I think you've got a touch of magic in you."  
  
Duo shrugged casually but his eyes were much cooler. " Don't know."  
  
Sirius blinked and looked back to Heero but Heero had eyes only for the American who was toying with the cloak again, deliberately not looking at either of them. He coughed. " I guess I just overstepped a bound here." He waved a hand to get Duo's attention. When the braided boy finally met his eyes, he let the grin fall away. " I didn't mean anything by it." The smile reappeared, albeit a bit ruefully. " I've been told I'm too curious for my own good. I'm sorry if I offended you."  
  
Duo appeared mollified by the apology. " No prob."  
  
Sirius clapped his hands briskly. " Now then - do you believe me? At least enough to come with me? Albus can do a better job of explaining all this to you - especially since I don't know what went wrong."  
  
" What went wrong?" Duo asked. He returned to their side, folding the cloak and handing it back to Sirius somewhat reluctantly. He watched wide-eyed as Sirius tapped the fabric with his wand, shrinking it and putting it into a pocket inside his robes.  
  
" A battle," Sirius replied. " A very dangerous battle that Harry fought against Voldemort six weeks ago. The outcome was.unexpected to say the least."  
  
" I fought Voldemort? The one you said killed my.parents?" Heero asked, testing the word out gingerly. It still sounded foreign to him. The story Sirius was weaving seemed to be getting weirder and weirder.  
  
" You have a few times," Sirius corrected him. " Almost every years since your first."  
  
Duo blinked. " What year is he supposed to be in now?"  
  
" Well, technically in two weeks you'd be starting your sixth year."  
  
Heero blanched. " Sixth?" His voice held a note of self-disgust. Duo chuckled. Sirius looked confused again.  
  
" I think you've started to convince him somewhat," Duo clarified, waving his hand at Heero. " And he's not too impressed with what you just said." Turning his head, he grinned cheekily at his lover. " Jeez Heero - five years and the target's still alive? That's horrible! Lady Une would be cringing if she could hear that!"  
  
" That's IF I believe all of this," Heero countered, still a bit red-faced. " I don't buy all of it. There's still the whole matter of you thinking I was with you at some point six weeks ago, when I KNOW we were helping Sally and Wufei on assignment. I have the bullet wound to prove it."  
  
" Bullet wound?" Sirius's eyes were very large and angry now. " What bullet wound?"  
  
Duo held up his hands in a placating manner. " It was just a graze. Soldier boy here's had worse." His eyes darkened as he remembered a certain explosion two years before. Death before surrender. But death hadn't sunk his cold fingers in deep enough, letting Heero escape. " Much worse."  
  
Sirius looked like he wanted to say something but Heero spoke up first. " I thought you wanted us to meet somebody.?"  
  
" Yeah." Sirius looked at Heero. " When you get your memory back, we're going to have talk. I want to know what's happened to you Harry."  
  
" Heero," Heero corrected automatically, fighting back the urge to both argue with him, and accept the name that struck a chord somewhere inside him.  
  
" Yes, yes - Heero." Sirius pulled out his wand again. " Apparating would be the quickest way - it's a good thing Moony made us practise travelling in groups."  
  
" Moony?"  
  
" Apparating?"  
  
Sirius smiled. " You'll meet Moony - he's my best friend. And apparating is instantaneous travelling. It's a common way for of-age wizards to travel."  
  
" You mean a kind of teleportation," Duo nodded, grasping the idea easily. " Sounds cool."  
  
He grabbed his duffel bag from the couch where he'd left it earlier, slinging it over his shoulder. He tossed Heero's at his, earning him a dirty look as Heero caught it gingerly. While at work Lady Une may have forced them to use company computers, but the laptop that had supported Heero throughout the war was a staple in Heero's life. When the Preventor machines couldn't pierce a company's state-of-the-art defences, Heero's usually could. He kept it with him at all times. Duo knew how much Heero loved that computer - and knew that if he ever dropped it, Heero would come after his braid with scissors.  
  
Heero slung his bag over his shoulder slowly. Duo was standing next to Sirius, poking his wand curiously and asking questions at a hundred miles per hour. Heero hid a smile. More typical Duo behaviour. Duo had a knack for adapting quickly. Born and bred from his years on the street, the American pilot was the most accepting of anything new, strange or different - to be honest, Heero wasn't at all surprised that once the initial shock had worn off, Duo had reverted to his true nature: curious, carefree and playful. It was one of the things he envied most about him.  
  
Heero stifled a sigh. He was worried. He refused to say nervous or scared because perfect soldiers simply were not nervous or scared - especially in front of other people. But he couldn't help but think that the dark cloud that he could somehow envision hanging over his head, was about to get even bigger.  
  
" C'mon Heero!" Duo appeared in front of him, his eyes lit up with excitement. " I want to try this apperporting trick!"  
  
" Apparating," Sirius corrected with a grin. " You ready Heero?"  
  
Shrugging, Heero made his way over to Sirius. " What is the procedure?"  
  
" You two hang on to each other. As long as I'm touching one of you, we'll all apparate together."  
  
Duo got a wicked gleam in his eye and Heero rolled his, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, the braided boy wrapped his arms around Heero, snuggling up to him, laying his head on his chest. Heero's arms automatically closed around him, one hand digging into the thick silkiness of his braid, looping it around his wrist and gripping it tightly in the standard leash he'd gotten in the habit of doing. Duo never complained about Heero's possessiveness and Heero could never explain why he felt the need to keep Duo so close to him. Perhaps it was because he was afraid that even after all Duo went through to 'get him' so to speak, he was afraid one day he would wake up and Duo would be gone. He had never been any good at letting people in; if Duo ever disappeared, he knew the odds of him ever trusting again were astronomical.  
  
Sirius was watching them with a soft look of affection, lending weight to the idea that he really did know them, or at least Heero from somewhere. At the very least, he would be found out as an accomplished actor. Heero resolutely pushed his jumbled emotions to one side - he had learned over the years that it was easiest to take things one at a time and proceed from there. Step one was obviously apparating. He raised an eyebrow at Sirius.  
  
" What now?"  
  
" Now, " Sirius grinned, raising his wand and reaching out to grip Heero's shoulder. " We apparate."  
  
Before Heero could even begin to think of a reply, the world vanished around them.  
  
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In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed completely. One minute they had been standing in Heero's office at the Preventor's Headquarters, the next they were standing in a large decorated room that Heero recognized as belonging to a rather expensive hotel located not far from the office. The.unusual method of travel left Heero feeling a bit queasy but his didn't change his expression. He even managed to hold up a white-faced Duo who was alternating between gagging and begging Sirius to do it again. Heero stroked his braid gently.  
  
" Okay 02?"  
  
" Just fine 01," Duo grinned weakly. His eyes shone with excitement. "Just let me put my stomach back where it belongs. This kind of travelling would definitely save me a fortune on gas fares. How 'bout you?"  
  
Heero shrugged. Duo gave him a hard look but then turned back to Sirius. " Okay, that was beyond cool. Now, where are we?" He blinked, looking around the room, taking in all the details. " Hang on a sec - we're at the Cathedral Hotel!" He whistled. " Ritzy! "  
  
A sudden gasp alerted to them to the sidewall where the door had swung open. A group of people clad in dark robes, similar to Sirius's, poured inside, their eyes wide. Heero fought the urge to reach for his gun and knew form the tense muscles that Duo was about two seconds away from unsheathing one of his daggers. Sirius quickly stepped in front of them, spreading his arms out wide.  
  
" Harry?"  
  
Heero looked over at the sound of a girl's excited voice, narrowing his eyes. She had bushy brown hair and was standing next to a redheaded boy who was goggling at him with a shocked expression.  
  
" Harry, is it you?" The redhead asked hoarsely, gripping the girl's arm. Sirius coughed, drawing all eyes to him. Heero took in the others. A sallow- faced man with dark, greasy hair was watching him with cold eyes. An elderly woman with brown hair streaked with grey stood next to him. Her face was pale, her eyes hopeful. On the other side of the room, standing close to Sirius was a brown-haired young man wearing old-looking robes. His face was also pale but a bit sickly too, as though he'd suffered from some kind of illness. But despite his apparent shock and surprise, his eyes were friendly.  
  
The last person stood directly in the centre, in front of Sirius, and Heero had to move a bit to the side to take him in completely. He was an old man, with long white hair that reached past his waist, and a matching beard that nearly brushed the plush carpet of the hotel room. His long purple robes shimmered in the light of the chandelier above them, and faded blue eyes twinkled out from behind half-moon spectacle as he slowly made his way forward, staring at Heero like the rest of them. His eyes held such relief and happiness that for a split second Heero wanted to hug the old man and reassure him he was still alive. Then the moment passed and Heero shook his head, clearing it. What had he been thinking?  
  
Sirius held up his hands. " I need to speak to all of you for a minute," he said flatly. He began herding them all back into the other room, pausing long enough to throw a look back at the two of them. " Hang on a second, okay? I just have to explain a few things to them. Then you'll get your explanation. I promise."  
  
Duo shrugged and waggled his fingers at them in goodbye. Heero merely folded his arms, the neutral expression he was famous for appearing on his face. That group that Sirius was imitating a sheepdog for kept looking behind them as they left as though they were unable to take their eyes off him for fear he'd disappear as soon as they turned their backs. Heero found this kind of scrutiny more then a little unnerving and he moved his hand to the back of his shorts, touching the familiar weight of his gun and taking comfort from its solid presence. Duo looked at him knowingly.  
  
" I can't believe the day would come that I'd see you nervous, Hee-chan," he said quietly. " What's up?"  
  
" I don't know," Heero confessed in a low tone. " It's like there's two parts of me arguing over what's real and what's not. I firmly believe that I am Heero Yuy, and have been all my life. Yet there's a part of me that agrees with every word Sirius has said, as though I've lived some kind of double life that only my subconscious knows about." He sighed and stared at Duo. " We WERE on L2 Section V-65443 six weeks ago with Wufei and Sally right?"  
  
For an answer, Duo walked over and gripped Heero's arm, pushing his jacket sleeve up past his elbow and turning his arm over. He pointed at the thin furrow in the muscle, the only reminder of the bullet that had clipped him from the smugglers they had helped Wufei and Sally put away. " You tell me."  
  
" I'm so confused!" Heero put his head down and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. " And this came out of nowhere! I didn't wake up this morning and start doubting my very existence! I've been having nightmares - which, coincidentally, started six weeks ago - but they were just dreams! Figments of my imagination! I just want to brush all of this off but every time I try, something clicks in my mind!" He snorted. " My mind.I think I'm losing my mind!"  
  
Duo sat down next to him gingerly, leaning against his shoulder. After a minute, he forced the Wing pilot to look at him, peering into Prussian eyes and avoiding looking at the jagged scar glaring out from underneath his unruly bangs. " I don't know what's going on Heero, but after seeing that cape, that wand and then just appearing here in seconds, I'm prepared to take a hell of a lot in stride here." He cupped Heero's face with his hand. " But whatever is going on, just remember I'm here for you. You got that, Soldier Boy? You're not handling this alone. You've got me riding your coat tails for this little trip even if it means I gotta get a straightjacket monogrammed with little scythes just for me to go along with yours."  
  
Heero didn't speak but he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Duo's, feeling a wave of relief wash over him, taking strength from the knowledge that come what may, Duo would be at his side. They stayed like that for several long seconds, breathing in each other's scent and trying to let all that had happened in the past few hours sink in.  
  
" What the HELL?"  
  
They jerked apart and only Duo's firm grip on Heero's hand prevented the Wing pilot from grabbing and aiming his gun at the red-haired boy that appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide as saucers, one hand pointing at the two of them in shock.  
  
" Ron!" The bushy-haired girl pushed her way past the stunned boy, giving him an exasperated look. " Didn't you hear ANYTHING Sirius said? Honestly!"  
  
Marching up to the two of them, the girl planted herself in front of them and held out her hand. Her tone was a little sad, but she firmly kept her voice from shaking and her eyes, though red, were dry. " I'm Hermione Granger. That's Ron Weasely." She cleared her throat. " I understand you don't remember your past right now, but we are-were, your best friends."  
  
Heero shook her hand automatically. Ron was still frozen, watching him and Duo with his mouth hanging open. Duo glared at him. " What's his problem?"  
  
Ron's mouth snapped shut. " Nothing," he said quickly, his eyes still stunned. " Who are you?"  
  
" Duo Maxwell," Duo introduced himself. " I run, I hide, but I never tell a lie." He folded his arms, still leaning against Heero comfortably. Ron nodded jerkily.  
  
" Hi."  
  
" Hello Mr. Yuy," came an older voice, and Heero looked up to see the white- haired man leading the rest of the group back into the room. Sirius followed directly behind him, giving Heero a small but encouraging smile. Heero looked back at the man who radiated a gentle yet powerful aura that he could somehow feel.  
  
" Who are you?"  
  
The man smiled. " I am Albus Dumbledore," he said in a soft voice that spoke of years enforcing his authority without the need to raise his voice. " I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts. And I believe I know why you don't remember any of us."  
  
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End Chapter 3  
  
Notes: Yeah, I'm getting to the good stuff. ^^ Next up, Albus gives a bit of the story behind what's happened but the true details are still unknown. It's decided that perhaps a visit to Hogwarts will jog his memory, but how can they get there? Whatever happened to Heero, apparently, he's in the wrong time! Will the confusing link between him and Harry Potter be revealed? Will Duo get left behind? ^^ Find out next chapter! Coming to an archive near you soon - hopefully. After all, I haven't written it yet. ^^  
  
Feedback please? Honestly, it encourages me to write faster! ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( 


	5. Interrogations and Explanations

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** People introduced and memories explained. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  ^^ Just as a side note – no, there will be no Harry x Ron in this fic. I don't mind that pairing – I find it rather sweet actually – but I like Ron with Hermione even better. If I were going to pair _Harry_ up with anyone, it would be Draco but Harry/Heero is quite firmly smitten with the loveable Duo Maxwell. ^^ Just thought I'd let you all know. ^^

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Chapter 4 (24-Jul-02) 

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Dumbledore simply projected the aura of being the all-time grandfather, radiating a soothing stream of warm and friendliness. Heero couldn't help but be somewhat receptive to it, and he knew that Duo had already relaxed a bit. It was unnerving.

The rest of the group had filed in silently after the girl – Hermione, Heero recalled – had admonished the redhead – Ron Weasely – and had taken sitting positions around the room. Even though Heero kept his eyes on the one called Albus Dumbledore, he could feel all their gazes locked on him, and the sheer expectancy of their looks made his fists clench. 

Duo glanced at Heero and then the surrounding people before smiling suddenly. " Whoa. Intense."

Sirius chuckled, and even Hermione cracked a smile. Dumbledore peered through his half-moon spectacles at Duo, smiling kindly. " And who is this?"

" Duo Maxwell sir," Duo said politely again. Dumbledore nodded, looking at the close proximity between him and Heero and his eyes crinkled. 

" It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Maxwell," he said reaching out and shaking Duo's hand with a grip that was unusually strong for such an elderly gentleman. Duo's face now held a mixture of amazement and respect. " I suspect you are both a bit confused about what is happening."

" You could say that," Duo shrugged. " But I've found with Heero, the unexpected isn't quite so unexpected."

Dumbledore laughed. " I suspect that's quite true, even more so then you think."

Heero growled, low under his breath. " An explanation?" The tone was one that Duo recognized as '_I am seriously getting pissed off and I am about to start waving my gun if I don't get answers NOW_.' Duo looked at all of them with a sheepish yet strained smile. 

" Ummm…yeah. Explanations would be a good thing right about now. The last time he used this tone of voice, the payroll people refused to come out of hiding for nearly a week." Heero glared at him and Duo raised his hands in self-defence. " Well, they didn't! Lady Une had to bribe them with extra vacation time!"

Heero knew Duo was diffusing him through sidetracking, a skill the American was very good at, but he went along with it anyway. It was something familiar in all this strangeness. " Well, they should have just paid us the two days they owed us. I didn't overreact."

Duo pulled away and placed his hands on his hips, ignoring their spectators outright as he fought to keep a grin off his face as he lectured Sank's most famous war hero. " You pulled your gun on them and threatened to kill them if they didn't fork over the bloody check Heero! Poor Jim was hyperventilating for an hour!"

Heero sniffed and folded his arms, looking away. Duo finally cracked and let a chuckle escape him as he slid back over, wrapping his arms around Heero's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. " No sulking now Hee-chan."

" I am not sulking," Heero said with some dignity. " Perfect soldiers don't sulk."

" What did you call yourself?" Dumbledore asked. He and the others had been watching the by-play with no little amusement, even if the public displays of affection seemed to weird out the sallow-faced man and the redheaded boy, but now he intervened. Heero looked back at him, completely at ease with a braided boy clinging to his torso. 

" Excuse me?"

" You called yourself a perfect soldier," Sirius clarified. " What does that mean?"

Heero went still, and Duo looked up guardedly. " It's a kind of nickname from the War," Duo said, looking at Heero to get his permission. Heero nodded, staring at some far off point on the wall. Duo continued. " Heero was raised, trained and somewhat…uh, _modified_ to be the perfect soldier."

" What do you mean by modified?" Hermione sat up a little straighter, looking genuinely interested. Duo shrugged.

" It means he's a stronger then normal people – as in able to bend steel bars with his bare hands, that kind of thing. He's got perfect aim on a shooting range- well, he does, when no one's distracting him anyway…" he grinned innocently. " Lightning-quick reflexes, abnormal rate of healing, able to control his breathing and to some extent, his heart rate which REALLY comes in handy when you need to play dead." Then his eyes darkened. " Able to survive impossible odds…"

Heero flinched. " That's enough."

Duo nodded and curled closer to him. Dumbledore had a pensive look on his face at Duo's revelations and both Hermione and Sirius looked vaguely astounded and horrified at the same time. Everyone else looked a little confused. Heero growled again.

" You are supposed to be providing ME with an explanation, not the other way around," he said coldly. Having his past brought up to what could be considered perfect strangers always made him edgy. " I don't even know half your names."

The friendly-faced man in the worn robes chuckled. " He's right, you know. " Standing, he made his way over, standing next to Sirius. " I'm Remus Lupin, Heero. I'm pleased to meet you."

Heero saw the encouraging look on Sirius's face and for some reason, went with his instincts, reaching out to shake the man's outstretched hand. Then he stiffened, his eyes narrowing. " What are you?"

Remus's eyes opened wide. " What?"

Heero couldn't explain it. As soon as he'd moved forward to take the man's hand, some kind of alarm had sounded in the back of his head. But, frustratingly, it had directly conflicted with another instinct within him to trust him, as though there were both some aspect of the man he knew he both could and could not trust. " There's something…different about you. More then, well…" he waved his hand in a general arc around the room. " Like I can trust you but sometimes I can't." He shook his head and met Lupin's steady gaze. " What does that mean?"

Remus chuckled even though his face had gone a bit pale. " It means you're very perceptive. Believe me when I tell you that you can trust me. You'll understand everything soon enough."

Heero didn't like that too much. He preferred to have 'all the cards on the table' as Trowa had once told him. Remus saw his narrowed gaze and sighed. " Please Heero?"

Duo tugged his arm gently and Heero nodded once. " Fine." He then focused his gaze on the two remaining people in the room still without names, raising his eyebrow pointedly.

The woman stood up, holding herself in a regal manner. Her face was stern yet her eyes were kind as she approached him. " I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. I am the head of Transfigurations at Hogwarts."

" Transfigurations?" Heero echoed.

" The ability to turn one object into another," she said simply. " A subject you're actually fairly good in, with the help of Miss Granger."

Heero looked at Hermione and saw her smile self-consciously. He put that aside and looked at the thin man watching him with a sneer on his hawk-like face. " And you are?"

" _I_ am Professor Snape," the man said shortly. " Head of Potions, which I'm afraid you're quite abysmal at."

Heero shrugged, not particularly caring what this man's opinion of him was, but Duo couldn't help but growl, glaring at the man with dangerous eyes. It wasn't wise to insult Heero Yuy in front of Duo Maxwell, not if you wanted to live to tell about it. Snape eyed the braided boy with a hint of trepidation and returned to his seat that he had claimed. Duo subsided.

" What subject do you teach?" Heero asked Remus next. The man shook his head.

" I'm not a teacher anymore. I used to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts but I became…indisposed." He smiled ruefully. 

" I'm here to lend moral support, you could say. I knew your parents – they, along with Sirius were my best friends at Hogwarts when we were younger."

" That's what he said," Heero nodded, nodding his head in Sirius's direction. Remus snapped his head to look at Sirius in shock.

" What? You were supposed to approach them only! What did you tell him? What if—"

" Remus, calm down!" Sirius snapped. He raked a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. " I had to say something. I had to give them something if I wanted them to come with me – for god's sake, they were pointing loaded weapons at me! "

" It is unfortunate that they chose not to fire," Snape remarked snidely. Sirius whirled around and gave a remarkably realistic growl at the professor before Remus had his hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

Heero watched with thinly veiled interest. He was starting to see the group dynamics fall into what seemed to be well-established patterns, the longer he viewed them. He noted the satisfied gleam in Snape's eyes and concluded that the comment had been said specifically to antagonize Sirius, and that the black-haired man had fallen for the bait, hook, line and sinker. A quick look around the room saw that Hermione and Ron had been suckered in as well, glowering at Snape even if they kept quiet. Even Minerva was scowling heatedly. But Dumbledore had a knowing look in his blue eyes, and even Remus had a resigned expression, as though the fight he was currently trying to prevent was one that he had plenty of experience in dealing with. Another quick look at Duo confirmed that the American pilot had come to the same conclusions, watching the room with amusement.

Albus Dumbledore cleared his throat and instantly Snape and Sirius quieted. Heero was impressed at the command the older man had.

" It's time to let Heero know what we've been jabbering about," he said with a smile. " And it's actually quite a long story. Perhaps if you told us a bit about the nightmares you've been experiencing?"

Heero shot a glare at Sirius who looked away, whistling innocently. " I'm not sure where to begin."

" I seem to recall some pretty good advice I was given," Sirius remarked, staring at the ceiling. " Start at the beginning. When you get to the end, stop."

Duo snickered.

Heero sighed and nodded resignedly. The sooner he told them, the sooner he could get some answers to this whole mess. " It starts off with screaming, a man telling a woman named Lilly to run…"

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The room had a most solemn air to it when he finished chronicling the details of his nightmares. The expressions ranged from shocked to amazed to knowing to uncaring (Snape) to anguished, and Heero himself felt drained by the time he'd finished speaking. Dumbledore nodded knowingly and waved his hand in the air. A large pitcher suddenly appeared in mid-air, and goblets materialized in everyone's hands. Duo swore in shock, to Sirius's amusement and Minerva's disapproval, and nearly dropped his.

" Warn a guy next time!" he groused. Heero sniffed the golden-colored beverage inside. It was vaguely familiar. He raised his eyes to Dumbledore's.

" Pumpkin juice," the Headmaster said with a smile. " I believe you'll find it quite tasty."

Heero shrugged and sniffed once more. There was no hint of drugs that had any noticeable smell and he tipped the goblet back. His eyes widened. It tasted like golden sunshine pouring down the back of his throat, and it surprised him so much he didn't even remember to study the after-taste for any kind of narcotic. Beside him, Duo was making noises of delight. 

" That's good!"

Dumbledore smiled. Heero took another sip and then set the goblet down on the floor. Dumbledore waved his hand and it disappeared. Duo reached for the floating pitcher and poured himself some more, grinning when he let go of the handle and the pitcher remained in the air.

" Well," Ron said after a minute. " I think we can guess what the man with two heads and the mirror is all about."

Hermione nodded. Heero quirked an eyebrow at her and she hastened to explain.

" That happened during our first year, Harry—sorry," she blushed. " Heero. That was our adventure with the Philosopher Stone. One of our teachers, Professor Quirrel, was a Death Eater in disguise. He was housing Voldemort in his body and always wore a turban to keep anyone from seeing Voldemort's face in the back of his skull. Voldemort has red eyes, and your reflection in the Mirror of Erisid placed the Philosopher's Stone in your pocket, to keep it away from him." She smiled. " You told us it was actually quite disgusting to see Voldemort's face all stretched out along Quirrel's skull like that."

" The wind passing through you was Voldemort's spirit trying to attack you," Dumbledore added quietly. " You told me about it when you woke up in the hospital wing."

Heero grunted something noncommittal. Ron went on.

" And the second part about hissing snakes and golden eyes and all that – well, that was the Chamber of Secrets from year two." His eyes darkened. " My sister Ginny had been kidnapped by You-Know-Who and hidden in the room below the girls bathroom. We were able to enter because you used your Parslemouth ability's to open the door."

" Parslemouth?" Duo asked.

" The ability to talk to snakes," Remus explained. " Apparently as a result of the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort when Harry was a baby, Harry acquired several of Voldemort's abilities, one being the knowledge of the snake language."

" It's considered a sign of darkness in a person," Hermione continued. " And for a long time, most of the students were afraid of you because of it." She sounded vaguely apologetic, and Heero shrugged, motioning for her to go on. She looked at Ron.

" We went into the Chamber with another teacher, Professor Lockhart," Ron said, snorting at the memory. Sirius and Lupin smiled and even Snape shook his head in amusement. " Lockhart was a bloody twit – he was afraid to go in even though he'd bragged he knew how to handle any kind of danger. Lying, he was. Well, he tried to make us forget that he'd told us he had lied in his books and ended up using the memory charm on himself. The wall caved in while we were arguing and Harry had to go on to face the Basilisk alone."

Dumbledore took over. " Harry – you, Heero – battled a Basilisk. Your loyalty to me summoned my phoenix to you, and Fawkes brought the Sorting Hat – a mystical object used to separate the students of Hogwarts into their proper Houses. You were able to summon the Sword of Godric Gryffindor and defeat the Basilisk, returning Miss Weasely to her family, safe and sound." He winked. " I was most impressed."

Heero shrugged again. As much as their explanations seemed to make sense, it was still like being told a story, as though what they were saying could never really have happened to him. It felt like he was being told someone else's life story, and he had the feeling that if he admitted as much out loud, he'd be getting looks of disappointment instead of the ones he'd already gotten.

Duo frowned at Heero. " So you can talk to snakes? How come I didn't know?"

" Because I've never tried, for one thing," Heero shrugged. " For all I know, they could be making it up. "_ Except somehow I know they're not._ " I leave the talking to animals to Trowa."

" Black spectre watches over you, cold chills when the hood falls back – that's the Dementor's from third year," Hermione said resolutely, ignoring the byplay in front of her. " Silver light – well, that must represent Harry's Patroneus."

" Strongest one I ever saw," Remus nodded. " But who's dead but not dead?"

" Barty Crouch Jr," Sirius put in. " Remember? He was supposed to have died in Azkaban but as it turned out, Crouch Sr. used polyjuice potion to make his wife look like their son and smuggled him out. Dead in the eyes of the wizarding world, but not dead after all."

Duo blinked. " They're speaking gibberish again Heero," he said in a low tone. He poked him in the arm. " Make them stop."

" I'm not saying anything," Heero shrugged. " This stopped making sense a long time ago."

" He's not an enemy – that's Sirius," Ron continued. "The whole, time-is-slippery thing though…"

" That's about what me and Harry did when we rescued Buckbeak and set Sirius free," Hermione cut in. " Remember? We used the time turner to prevent Buckbeak from getting killed, and then we flew him up to the tower Sirius was being kept in. He escaped on Buckbeak."

" So the next part, the Chosen One, is about year four and the Triwizard Tournament," said Professor McGonagall. The temperature of the room seemed to drop a few degrees but after a few minutes everyone shook it off.

" _You won't do it alone so you'll condemn another_, " Ron repeated, a bit sickly. " Oh Harry…"

" He doesn't remember it now, so let's just leave it alone," Sirius said sharply. Heero had the distinct feeling that he was being excluded out of something he'd normally find very important, but the whole thing was getting a bit too surreal and so he chose not to argue.

" So what does all of this lead up to?" he asked, a little impatiently. More glances flew around the room and he stood apart from Duo a little, glaring at them. " I asked you a question. Are you going to answer or not?"

" What, pray tell, will you do if we do not?" Snape asked idly.

Heero stared at him. " Absolutely nothing. Duo and I return to our apartment for some much-needed sleep, and then we go back to work first thing in the morning, leaving you all to sort this out for yourselves."

" But you can't—" Hermione began to protest.

" I can and I will," Heero stated firmly. " Nightmares are nothing but products of my imagination, and sooner or later, they'll go away. Beyond that, before today I had never heard of anything you've spoken of. Some things may have sounded similar, but so vaguely that I imagine I can easily ignore it. I have a life, a full life here that I can get back to any time I choose. If you could say the same thing, you wouldn't be here now, so desperate to get me to listen to what you have to say. " He smiled coolly. " One good thing about being a terrorist and then a Preventor Agent for so long is you learn to be observant and draw quick and accurate conclusions. I can survive without you telling me anything more, eve if Duo does die from simple curiosity." Duo grinned. " But you are here because you obviously either need me, or need something from me. If you choose not to tell me anything, I simply deny you what you need by going home." He reached down and squeezed Duo's hand reassuringly. " Despite what you have told me so far, you haven't convinced me. So convince me now, or I'll leave and whatever mission you were on, fails."

" That's my Heero," Duo chuckled. " I was wondering when you'd get down to the threats, love."

Sirius, Hermione and Ron all looked like they wanted to rush Heero and tie him down so he couldn't escape. Remus and McGonagall exchanged knowing looks, and Snape looked vaguely impressed. Dumbledore let out a throaty chuckle and nodded.

" Very well, m'boy." The smile shrank a little, clouds entering pale blue eyes. " I shall tell you the final chapter of our story. The story of Harry and Voldemort's final battle, and the conclusion of that battle that has led us here to you today." His eyes looked saddened for some reason. " I can only hope you can forgive me for taking so long."

Heero was confused but he nodded and returned next to Duo. After a minute of arranging themselves on the couch behind them, they looked up at Dumbledore to hear what he had to say.

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End Chapter 4 

Is this progressing too fast? Too slow? I'm trying to make this as realistic (well, as realistic as fanfics involving magic can be) and it's hard trying to visualize everything that's happening but I'm doing my best. ^^

Also, thanks to everyone whose reviewed so far. I'm glad you're enjoying the fics – crossovers aren't as popular as they used to be, so it's nice to see I haven't quite yet frightened off _everybody_.

Check out my page for tons more fics and fan art. I also have a mailing list for my site but since the next big update isn't until the weekend, Parallel won't be up at the _Witch's Domain_ until Sunday.

Feedback please??? 

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	6. Even More Explanations

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:**

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  This chapter deals with part of the explanation. The rest will be done in chapter 6. By chapter 7, you will start to see some action. 

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Chapter 5 (28-Jul-02) 

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" To start with, we need to go back six weeks ago, Mr. Yuy. Six weeks ago marked the end of the school year for you and your peers in your fifth year. As you've heard and of course, dreamed, each year has been marked in some way, by a tragic event. Sadly, this year proved to be no exception." Dumbledore's silver brows drooped slightly. Heero tensed. 

"As a result of Harry's bond with the dark wizard Voldemort, forged from the blood ceremony Voldemort performed last year during the Triwizard tournament, Voldemort discovered that he could come to Harry in his dreams. As well, the pain in his scar that he felt whenever Voldemort was near began to intensify. It was as if the tentative bond they had ever since that fateful day in Godric's Hollow years ago, had been boosted in power.

Harry knew of this of course. You – he – were very attuned to what you could and could not read from Voldemort. And as Ron and Hermione were your best friends, and Sirius your trusted godfather, you told them as many details as possible, keeping everyone in a well-informed loop.

Voldemort decided to try again to destroy you. Despite the number of his followers – his Death Eaters – the Ministry and their Auror's have been able to put away, Voldemort still has quite the large following, and his fanatical zeal seemed to overflow whenever he thought of killing you. Professor Snape, a trusted spy for our side, informed me that dissention was starting to grow among the ranks of the Death Eaters, as time after time a single young child was continuously able to defeat their dark Lord. Voldemort decided that the time for the final confrontation between you and he had come."

*~*~*~*~*

Dumbledore paused to see how his audience was handling the story he was weaving. The Professor's had blank expressions that would have made any wizard chess player proud, but Sirius was watching his godson with a look of extreme unhappiness. If he looked a little closer, Dumbledore could see hints of guilt in those dark eyes. 

Ron and Hermione were perched next to each other and as the story progressed, they seemed to inch even closer, as though subconsciously seeking solace from each other as they knew what lay ahead. The young boy, Duo Maxwell had an enraptured look on his face, enthralled by the story about his lover. And Heero…

Dumbledore searched that stone face for the hints of Harry he could feel fighting to break free from their cage inside of Heero's mind, but the boy's face was completely closed off. He was listening with a focused attention that Dumbledore remembered from their discussions about his nightmares, but with a calmness that was completely foreign. What kind of life had Harry experienced as Heero that could result in such a distinct and noticeable change?

Shaking himself, the Headmaster nodded once and continued on with the story.

*~*~*~*~*~*

" It was during the last trip the students had to Hogsmeade, a village located not far from the school. It's a rather popular place for the students, and we try to arrange visits there to give students a chance to relax and have fun away from the school

You, Heero, or Harry, went as usual, with Ron and Hermione. You met up with Remus Sirius in his…he was in a disguise so as not to be recognized. At the end of the day, the students began to gather in a group for the trip home."

Dumbledore's voice dropped slightly. " A swarm of Death Eaters came out of nowhere and began attacking at what seemed to be completely random people. The Patil twins were injured in the first wave, as was Ginny Weasely, Cho Chang, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst.

You, Ron and Hermione retaliated in a manner most impressive, and Sirius helped enormously, particularly in the capturing of one particular Death Eater…but I shall go on about that later.

Voldemort was there too, even though no one could see him. But you Heero, you have always been sensitive to Voldemort's whereabouts and when your scar started stinging, you chose to hunt him down, leaving the main battle."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. " Hermione and Ron noticed you were missing almost immediately, and set out to find you. Ron asked his brothers Fred and George to find the teachers in the vicinity and then told Sirius and Remus what happened. They began to search all of Hogsmeade for you and it wasn't until an explosion was set off on the north side of the village that they did."

Remus cut in gently. " We followed the sound of the explosion and saw Voldemort screaming in agony. Black smoke was circling him and he was slowly disappearing, kind of like – what did you call it, Hermione?"

" A fade-to-black," Hermione said shakily. " Like on a muggle TV set. He was just being blacked out, fading into nothing."

" We looked for you," Ron added quietly. His muscles were impossibly tense. " We watched Voldemort disappear and then ran like crazy, hoping to find you." His lips clamped shut and he looked down. Hermione lay a gentle hand on his arm in a soothing gesture.

" I was able to track you somewhat," Sirius said after a minute. His voice was hoarse. " I have a special means of doing so, and I used it. There was no trace of you anywhere – not even…" he swallowed. " Even if you'd been killed, blown up or burned—" Hermione closed her eyes and Ron choked. "—I would have sensed it. But there was absolutely nothing."

" I was the first person to find them all," spoke McGonagall. The grey-haired professor's voice was perfectly steady even though her face was white. " I found Sirius and Remus casting search spell after search spell. Hermione and Ron were a bit...too shaken to do much more then watch."

" Rather polite way of saying we were useless," Ron muttered.

Dumbledore took over again.

" The Ministry and its Auror's arrived—"

" Late as usual," Sirius growled. Remus shushed him.

"—And took charge of the situation, sending everyone home. After conducting a thorough search, they announced that Voldemort had been defeated and Harry Potter had been killed."

Sirius abruptly stood up and left the room. Heero and Duo watched with surprise as even Snape failed to make a single comment. Heero had caught a glimpse of the anguished and frustrated look on Sirius's face as he pushed through the door and bit his lip. Remus looked at the two of them apologetically.

" He took your death really hard, Har-Heero. You two never get to spend much time together, and you're his and my last link to our old friends. Sirius told you he is your godfather?"

Heero nodded mutely. 

" He's never had a chance to truly be one. He blamed himself for not being around more, for not being more careful all those years ago. He thinks it's his fault you grew up with the Dursely's, and he was so mad at himself when he had to leave you after the Triwizard tournament last year. He didn't want to – you were such an emotional wreck—"

Duo gaped in astonishment.

"—but the Order needed to be gathered and Sirius was the best person for the job."

" That was my fault, not his," Dumbledore said quietly. " I was the one who asked him to retrieve the others. But I knew Harry would understand the importance."

Heero shrugged noncommittally. " Is Sirius a criminal?"

Shocked gasps echoed through the room. Even Snape looked astonished at Heero's question. Ron swallowed hard. " Harry?"

" Heero. And it's a reasonable question. So was he?"

Duo saw the confusion on all of their faces and decided to take pity on them. " What he means is that from the story you've given us, you've alluded to the fact that Sirius uses a disguise when he travels, and was never given much time to spend with Harry even though he obviously wanted to. Finally, something happened all those years ago that Sirius obviously blames himself for and tries to avoid being seen. Given that line of reasoning and taking into consideration the line of work we're both in, the obvious two conclusions is that Sirius is either a spy, or a criminal you're all harbouring. So which is it?"

" A little of both, actually."

Heads looked up as Sirius re-entered the room, looking worn and haggard. Remus looked like he wanted to go to him, but Sirius waved him off. " I was wrongfully imprisoned years ago. The Ministry thought I was the one who betrayed your parents to Voldemort, leading to their deaths. It was actually another…associate of ours, Peter Pettigrew. But he framed me." Sirius sat back down, sighing harshly. " I escaped Azkaban. Dumbledore, Remus, Minerva – almost all of the Hogwarts staff knows of me and my innocence. But the Ministry refused to believe me. It was only recently that the situation was rectified, so to speak."

" Meaning?"

" The Death Eater Sirius captured was Peter Pettigrew. He had faked his own death years ago, and him alive was a big leap for Sirius. The Ministry charged Peter with the deaths of James and Lily Potter and set me free legally." Sirius smiled sorrowfully. " But at the time it was announced, I was in…well, I wasn't in the best shape to appreciate it."

" He was drunk," Remus clarified. " Your supposed death hit all of us hard, him most of all." Sirius turned red.

" What did you expect?" he asked hotly. He turned to Heero and the pilot was startled to see tears in those dark eyes. " I was free – legal, able and willing to finally take my place as your legal guardian, as I should have been all those years. I had almost had that chance the year I escaped – I even asked you if you wanted to come live with me that summer instead of the Dursely's. You were so happy at the thought of leaving them that you _jumped_ at the chance!"

" We had captured Peter," Remus explained. A self-loathing expression crossed his face. " But thanks to a problem of mine, he escaped. The Ministry captured Sirius again, but you and Hermione, thanks to Dumbledore, were able to rescue him. Fudge wasn't too happy about that."

" Fudge?" Duo asked, wrinkling his nose. Remus nodded.

" The former Minister of Magic."

" Former?"

" As of last week," Minerva spoke up. " In light of Fudge's incompetence regarding Voldemort, the wizarding community had enough of his bumbling. Until a new Minister is elected, Dumbledore is temporarily in charge."

Tentative smiles broke the tenseness of the situation. Heero nodded shortly, but something was still puzzling him. He stared at Remus.

" Does the 'problem' you spoke of have to do with the…feelings, I got from you earlier?"

Snape smirked from where he was quietly watching the proceedings. " This version of Potter doesn't seem to miss much. I _am_ impressed."

Sirius glared at Snape, but Remus nodded. " Yes, it does."

Heero eyed him curiously, thoughtfully, and then shrugged again. Hermione frowned. 

" You don't seem….well, very enthusiastic about any of this Harry."

" That's because I'm not Harry," Heero replied calmly. " And I choose to reserve any judgements and/or opinions until the whole story has been told." That said, he turned back to Dumbledore. The chill at the base of his spine had lessened slightly during the story telling, as though subconsciously, he was glad things had turned out the way they claimed. Still, even if their story had any relevance whatsoever, he was still Heero Yuy, and he refused to get sidetracked from why they thought he was anything different. " Continue please."

The elderly wizard nodded. " We were all shocked and upset over the Ministry's callous disregard for the possibility that you might have been alive. There was no trace of your physical presence – but the Auror's, under Fudge's directions, refused to think of other possibilities, such as apparition or another port key."

Sirius blanched. Hermione and Ron exchanged looks that told Heero they seemed to be quite glad a port key wasn't involved. _Now how did I know that?_

" I began to do an investigation of my own. Sirius, Ron and Hermione were a great help, as was Professor Snape in concocting various potions that could trace or track elements, or react when in the proximity of something I was looking for." Dumbledore looked at Professor Snape. " If you could explain the potion that worked the best, Severus?"

Snape shrugged. " Of course." Facing the rest of them, he adopted a facial expression that reminded Heero of a particularly pompous teacher he and Duo had once had while undercover at a school near a mobile doll plant. The teacher seemed to know everything and made sure everyone knew it. Snape had the same look on his face. Heero smiled slightly, and knew when he heard Duo snickering, that the American had thought of the same thing.

" When the Headmaster asked me to accompany Black, Granger and Weasely to the _site_, I began to search for traces of anything that might have been used in a potion. The Ministry doesn't have a single Auror with the least amount of proficiency in potions, and therefore did not know that potions, not just spells, are capable of relocating people, turning them invisible, shrinking them down for easy transport and so on. Oh no, they all think that a wand must be waved and silly incantations chanted—"

" If we could please stick to the point?" Professor McGonagall asked pointedly. Snape glowered at her.

" I found several ingredients that are quite rare, and only a Master would know the various potions they could create. One that we later discovered was what happened to Mr. Potter was the Spirit Spell potion. The potion was used hundreds of years ago by muggle shamans who probably stole it from wizards, to travel to the Spirit world, to commune with their ancestors.

The properties of this potion are quite complex, and they had darker uses as well. It was used as the final punishment for wizard offenders before Azkaban was built as a more humane way of letting criminals serve lengthy prison terms. The potion, when brewed properly and with the right adjustments in the ingredient levels, could send a person's mind fleeing the safety of their own head. Then, the body was woken before the spirit could return, leaving the body a mere husk without a mind to run it. The method was abandoned when Azkaban was built."

" And now they use Dementor's to accomplish the exact same thing," Sirius muttered bitterly. " Nice to see we've progressed to more _humane_ punishments." Remus stroked his arm gently. Heero cocked his head to one side, his eyes narrowed.

" So what you're saying then, is that you believe this potion was used on Harry Potter, sending his mind fleeing somewhere? Landing in me?"

Snape paused, unsure of what to say next. Heero watched him, his mind racing to assimilate and process this new information. Snape hesitantly turned to Dumbledore who captured Heero's attention.

" Not…quite." The white-haired Headmaster spoke quietly. " According to Severus, who analysed the potion quite thoroughly, the ingredients used were similar, but the amounts were different. And there was the addition of a _Kikan_ _Utsuso_ plant, that made quite a difference."

" The _Kikan Utsuso_ plant is a very rare plant that comes from the remote island mountains of Japan," Snape explained. " Very rare, and very dangerous. It was thought for years to be extinct, and it mostly is these days. You can only get this plant in certain areas of Japan, and the Japanese Ministry protects those areas. No one is allowed in their special gardens, not even other visiting Ministers. Yet somehow, Voldemort got a hold of this plant. I can only surmise that he had a Death Eater in one of the garden guards, or that his power is just so great that he was able to break in undetected."

" What did this plant do?" Duo asked curiously.

" The plant, in English and loosely translated, means to transport to a specific time and place. The plant itself was what the Time Turners, when they were invented, were based on. In fact, all Time Turners have a tiny, modified leaf of the _Kikan Utsuso_ ground up in the sand of the Turner body. But it was done in such a way that even if you took all the Time Turners in the world and extracted the fragments of the leaf from the sand, you'd barely have enough to transport a bug, let alone a whole person. You need a whole plant, a pure plant, untouched or modified in any way, to do what was done."

" What Severus thinks happened was remarkable," Dumbledore spoke up. " The addition of the plant changed the potion from sending just your mind hurtling through time and space."

Heero had the distinct idea that he knew where this was going. Duo nodded grimly.

" It sent _him._"

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End Chapter 5 

Feedback please?

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	7. Final Explanations

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:**

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:** Ooh!! A wee bit of snogging for those of you who want a bit of mush to go with your plot. Hopefully it isn't too overdone, nor too gushy – I don't specialize in romances. 

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Chapter 6 (4-Aug-02) 

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Duo sat on the edge of the couch, his violet eyes darting from one speaker to the next. His trade-mark braid had strands of hair coming out of the tight weave all over the place where his nervous fingers had been plucking at it. A tightness had grown in his chest as Snape's explanation had gone on, and Dumbledore's final agreement with Duo's own conclusion had his stomach twisted up in knots. Something was dreadfully wrong. He looked over at Heero, horror mixing with a combination of terror and desperate denial. An entire person sent instead of a mind. A switch? Six weeks. Did that mean…

" What did you do with Heero?" he finally croaked, dazedly. Next to him, Heero's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline, and he watched with disbelief as Duo backed away from him slowly, staring at him with an expression that made Heero's heart ache.

" Duo?"

" They said..." Duo licked his lips nervously, praying what he thought wasn't true. " They said that the spell sent you – did you replace my Heero?"

It would explain why he remembered this odd-looking entourage but it wouldn't explain why he had a full sixteen years worth of memory. But maybe Harry had just pushed his way into Heero's mind, settling in as though he owned the place….Duo's eyes widened again in fear. " Who are you?"

Heero growled and sent his best death glare at Snape and Dumbledore before turning back to him with a gentle look on his face that would have seemed completely alien to say Lady Une, or Sally Po. But to Duo, it reminded him of the times Heero had sat up with him when he was sick, or taking care of him after being injured on a mission. That simple expression did wonders for calming the American, even if it didn't dispel his fears completely.

" Heero?"

" Baka[i]," came the gentle reply. " I am the Heero you have always known. I still don't completely understand what's going on, but you don't have to worry about that."

Duo blinked and leaned forward. He looked quickly from one Prussian-blue eye to the other, searching for something and finding only honest truth reflected back on him. Heero didn't look away, only continued to stare at him steadily, a well known look of honesty there that as unmistakeable. The knots in his stomach slowly began to unravel. Shakily reaching out, Heero's larger hand swiftly caught his and pulled him in for a much-needed reassuring hug. Strong arms wrapped around him, Heero's nose nuzzling his hair and Duo slumped forward, feeling the familiar curve of Heero's back beneath his fingertips, the iron muscles tense. He drummed his fingers, automatically trying to soothe the tenseness out. Mentally reprimanding himself for jumping to such hasty conclusions, Duo pulled his head back to apologize and found himself being shushed in a manner he found most enjoyable. Several seconds – or maybe minutes, possibly years – later, the two separated, gazing at each other affectionately.

" I am a baka, neh?" Duo murmured. Heero nodded with a small smile that only he could see.

" Yes."

" Just making sure. Oi!" Without taking his eyes off Heero, Duo waved his hand in the direction of the other's. " Quit gaping, and get used to it!"

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Heero blinked and turned his head. Dumbledore was watching with a benevolent expression behind his spectacles. Sirius and Remus were grinning like fools, and Snape was actually laughing at the dumbstruck expression on Ron and Hermione's faces. McGonagall had her eyes covered.  Heero felt his own face flush as he realized that he had tuned out the entire room when Duo had turned on him with a look he never wanted to see again. 

Those expressive violet eyes looking on him with hurt and anger had nearly punched a whole in his chest. Duo was his one familiar rock, his touchstone in the universe. He needed Duo, needed him there, needed him laughing and smiling, reminding him that underneath the Perfect Soldier, he was still a human being. It was hard to remember that when people scattered from you when you walked down a hall, whispering at you, pointing fingers and calling you a machine behind your back. That Duo had almost doubted him…

Heero's fingers clutched at Duo's braid, gazing at the American. Duo smiled knowingly and curled in to him, threading his arms beneath his and around his chest, laying his head just below Heero's collarbone. His presence was fortifying and Heero mentally gave thanks that at times Duo just seemed to read his mind. It was bad enough showing this much open emotion in front of perfect strangers; he didn't think he could openly ask Duo if he wanted to snuggle as well.

Ron cleared his throat. " Well, I guess that really does prove it." His tone was awe-struck.

" Prove what," Duo asked lazily.

" That you two are a couple," Hermione answered. " It kind of took us by surprise. Six weeks ago, Harry wasn't interested in anyone really. Too worried about Voldemort and Death Eaters and everything else in between. At times it was like he was trying to get rid of even us, for fear of posing a threat to us. It just seems weird that he could have changed so much in six weeks."

" Six weeks?" Duo snorted. " Try two years."

" Two years?" Sirius asked, interested.

" Soldier Boy here had a shell made of Gundanium," Duo grinned, poking Heero in the ribs as he spoke, eliciting an annoyed grunt from his boyfriend. " It took me two years to get through to him, to get him to respond to me."

"  Admirable dedication," Remus commented, smiling at the two of them.

" Try bone-headed stubbornness," Heero countered in a grumble.

" It was worth it!" Duo chimed.

" A sappy Potter is almost worse then a paranoid Potter," Snape muttered.

Duo's eyes locked on Snape, flashing with anger. " You wanna say that again, greaseball?"

Ron and Hermione gaped openly and Sirius dove behind Remus, shoving a pillow in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Snape's face turned six different shades of red and purple before he raised one shaking finger.

" You _arrogant_ little—"

" Now, now, let's all calm down a bit," Remus held up his own hands, biting his cheek to keep the grin at bay. " Duo, Snape is just like that. Just ignore it, okay?"

Duo was still glaring at the oily-looking professor. 

" Duo?"

Heero tugged on his braid wordlessly. Duo snapped his head back to Remus, smiling innocently at the man. " Okay!"

Remus blinked at the complete switch around in expression. Then he took a closer look and saw just the barest hint of rage kept in check in the back of his eyes, sparking and promising revenge. He shuddered at the way Duo was able to focus and control such anger – that took a lot of control. Remus made a quick mental note to never get Duo angry with him. A glance at Sirius and Hermione told him they were thinking the same thing. Ron was simply grinning at the American, obviously won over by the insult to one of his least-favorite professor's.

Heero sighed. " Can we get on with this then?"

Dumbledore clapped his hands once. " Capitol idea m'boy." His eyes twinkled. " I believe we should continue with story – after all, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for what happened when Harry was sent here and what it has to do with you."

" And I'm sure you know what it is," Heero finished for him, looking the elderly professor straight in the eyes. " You're just waiting for your _students_ to figure it out for themselves. An admirable way of teaching, but I am sick of waiting." His eyes stared icily at the Headmaster, making a few of the adults frown.

Hermione and Ron blinked. " But we don't know either. You'll be waiting a long time," Hermione said, a little stiffly. Heero gathered that being in the dark was unfamiliar to her.

" You're not the only students here," Heero explained, smirking. Ron and Hermione took in all their professors, including Remus and Sirius and then grinned. Minerva had a faint blush on her cheeks, and Snape was deliberately not looking at any of them. Sirius and Remus exchanged looks.

" You're always children to your parents, and you're always a student to your teacher," Duo quipped. Sirius chuckled.

" I like him," he said, jerking a thumb in Duo's direction. 

Heero felt a warm fuzzy feeling spread in his chest at Sirius's remark.

" So if Heero and Harry are the same person combined, why does Heero still have all the memories of his life, and none of Harry's?" Snape asked in an attempt to get the conversation back on track. " At least, not more then simple feelings anyway."

" That's what we'll find out." Dumbledore held up his wand. Snape nodded, and even Minerva had an approving look on her face. 

" What are you going to attempt," Heero asked warily. Duo's grip tightened.

" I believe that Harry's body was….*ahem*…destroyed when the spell was cast," Dumbledore said sadly. Shocked and alarmed gasps rang out at his words but he held up his hand. " The spell wasn't meant for people to be sent that way. But, his mind was sent on to you, Heero. "

" Locked inside me," Heero nodded. " At least, that's a plausible theory."

" What I propose to do is remove Harry's mind and spirit from you and place it in this." Dumbledore reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small piece of what looked like brown crystal. It looked like it had been part of something bigger, broken off. McGonagall nodded. Hermione was squinting at the shard.

" What is it?"

" The last remaining fragment of the Philosopher's Stone," Dumbledore said softly.

Snape looked impressed. " Excellent idea Albus."

Hermione shook her head. " Wait a minute. Harry told us that you decided the Stone was too dangerous. He said you destroyed it."

Dumbledore smiled at the girl. " I did. I have." He held up the shard. " What you see here is a mere piece of the Stone, kept for emergencies just such as this. What do you about the Stone, Miss Granger?"

" That it holds the secret to Immortal Life," Hermione answered promptly. " It allowed your friend Nicholas Flamel and his wife to live for over six hundred years."

" Correct, Miss Granger. Were we at Hogwarts, I would award Gryffindor with ten points. As it is…" his eyes slid over to McGonagall.

" I shall make sure of it Albus," Minerva said, smiling slightly.

" Wonderful!" Dumbledore clapped his hands again. " Now, Miss Granger, and the rest of you – do you know what else the Stone is capable of?"

Shaken heads all the way around.

" The Stone can act as a storage capacity for life," the Headmaster explained. " It literally holds life; IS life in some ways. By drawing Harry's spirit out of Heero's body, he can safely reside here in the Stone until we can make some…_other_ arrangements for him."

" What, like conjuring up a body?" Ron asked sharply.

" Precisely, Mr. Weasely. 

" That's all just peachy-keen for you guys," Duo's voice suddenly drawled out, startling all of them. They turned to see the American still lazily reclining in Heero's arms but his eyes were flashing bits of violet fire at them. " But just how safe is this whole procedure for Heero? I don't know your Harry from Adam so forgive me when I tell you; Heero's safety is my primary concern. NOT Harry's."

Sirius bit back the angry growl that almost escaped but Duo's eyes fixed on him anyway. A fleeting expression of apology flashed across his face but his determination was resolute. Sirius subsided, somewhat understanding the boy's loyalty. He couldn't find fault with something he'd probably declare himself on Harry's behalf.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself. " The procedure is simple enough for me to complete. I need only bind Harry's soul to my wand and then transfer him to the Stone where he will be safe until we can procure for him a new body."

Duo eyed the older wizard with hard, battle-trained eyes before turning to look at Heero. " Well Hee-chan? It's your call after all. What do you want to do?"

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Heero looked around the room once before looking back at Duo. He could see concern in his eyes, concern and pain and a healthy dose of fear to boot. That shook him a bit. Duo was fearless in most aspects of life. He would charge headfirst, armed with a butter knife, into a factory of armed mobile Dolls if doing so was for the good of the team, or even if Heero simply asked him to. Such was the loyalty Duo was famous for, the trust he had in his partner and his friends. The only thing that could scare the American was the loss of someone he cared for.

Heero had always known that Duo loved him. Seeing the fear in his partner's eyes now, only reinforced that knowledge and he ignored the twinge of guilt he felt for being somewhat happy that Duo was worried about him so deeply.

" My call, huh?" He murmured, reaching up and stroking the baby-fine hairs at the nape of Duo's neck. " My call is your call. Always has been. Always will be. What do you think, partner?"

Duo sighed, burying his head in Heero's shoulder for a second before lifting his face up again. " I think you'd better get to the bottom of this Heero." He cracked a weak grin. " It'll drive you nuts if you don't, and then_ you_ will drive _me_ nuts."

Heero chuckled. " Ryoukai.[ii]"

" I take it to mean I should proceed?" Dumbledore asked calmly. Heero exchanged one last look with Duo who gripped his hand so tightly he cut off the circulation, and then nodded. "Very well."

He directed Heero to lie down on the couch. Duo looked like he wanted to protest when Dumbledore gently informed him that he had to let go of Heero so they could complete the spell, but a simple word from Heero made Duo nod. Letting go, he brushed his hand across Heero's cheekbone, a wordless promise to be there no matter what, and then he turned, stalking to the head of the couch and perching on the edge, watching them all with suspicious, cat-like eyes that reminded Hermione eerily of a predator on the hunt. The braided boy had a wicked-looking dagger in his hands again, and was playing with the handle, rotating the blade around his fingers in a dangerous nervous gesture. 

Sirius had one eye on Heero but his heart went out to the American who, despite all appearances to the contrary, had to be scared out of his mind, especially considering that they were about to pull a spirit out of his lover's head. Despite Dumbledore's reassurances, Sirius was also worried. Not only for his godson, which was a given, but for the Japanese pilot lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Sirius didn't want to see either of them hurt if they could help it. He decided against laying a hand on Duo's shoulder, not knowing how the American would take the gesture, and settled for making eyes contact, trying to reassure him without words, that Heero would be okay. Duo's violet eyes narrowed slightly, as though judging Sirius's sincerity for himself, before relaxing a little bit.

Snape and Minerva stood on either side of the Headmaster, watching with fascination as Albus placed the Philosopher Stone shard on Heero's chest. The Stone seemed to react with something in the boy, glowing ever so slightly and Dumbledore nodded with satisfaction.

" Let's begin."

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Holding his wand over Heero's head, the Headmaster began to mutter something under his breath. Duo's sharp ears picked up a few Latin phrases but of such an old arcane dialect that he couldn't translate it, at least not so it made sense. Then something happened that made him ignore everything else.

A soft glow had surrounded Heero's body, a light blue, almost white, like a mist rising off the water in early morning. It pulsed gently, and as Duo watched it, wide-eyed, he realized that it must have been in tune with Heero's heartbeat. 

" Whoa," he whispered, his eyes huge.

" You said it," breathed Ron who was peering over the back of the couch. Hermione stood with him, and the two were unconsciously holding each other's hand as they watched the magic being worked. Duo smiled as he registered the closeness of the two, before looking back at Heero. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer, and automatically, he reached up to his shirt collar, pulling out the small, golden cross he carried with him everywhere. Duo was not an overly religious person, preferring to follow the path of Shinigami than any other deity, but it was in times like this that the teachings Sister Helen had once imparted to him came back full-throttle. Gripping the cross in his hand, he watched the body of his lover glow as Dumbledore touched the wand to his forehead, and he sent off a quick prayer that Heero would be all right. 

It was as soon as the wand touched Heero that things rapidly went to hell.

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A bright light flashed as the wood touched the boy's brow, radiating out from the faint outline of the scar that was so famous in Britain. Blindingly bright, even Dumbledore stumbled back a step in complete shock. Heero's body convulsed and the Japanese pilot screamed.

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Duo's eyes snapped open, bright light or no bright light, at Heero's scream. He had never heard the Perfect Soldier sound so panicked, so afraid or in so much pure _pain_ before. Like lightning, Duo leaped across the couch, pushing Dumbledore all the way back, knocking Snape down and sending Minerva stumbling into Sirius and Remus who caught her automatically. The light was dying down and bright spots were still flashing in Duo's vision, but he ignored it as he whipped the gun out of his back pocket, training it on Dumbledore as he crouched in front of his partner.

" What the _fuck_ did you do to him?" he hissed, his eyes narrow slits of a rage barely kept in check. " If you hurt him I swear to god I'll kill you!"

Snape got to his feet, glaring at the boy. He looked like he was about to start ranting, but Dumbledore put out a hand, stopping Snape in his verbal tracks. Sirius and Remus let Minerva go as she assured them she was fine, and then watched the boy-terrorist warily, wands out. Hermione and Ron had their own wands out but looked reluctant to use them. Duo's eyes were focused on the headmaster but no one doubted that if anyone else moved, the braided boy would be on them in a flash.

" I tried to do the spell," Dumbledore said simply. His ageless eyes stared directly into Duo's, conveying all the sincerity Duo had felt before. " The spell tried to separate Harry from Heero."

" You said it wouldn't hurt him," Duo growled. 

" And it wouldn't have," Dumbledore agreed calmly. " If I had been able to separate them."

" What do you mean?" The gun was unwavering. Duo had no illusions that if they wanted to, they could disarm him with their magic, but damn it, if he had to go down, he was going down fighting.

" Albus, you're not saying what I think you are," Snape said slowly, the anger on his face slowly draining away to be replaced with something else Duo recognized as shock.

" I think I am, Severus." Dumbledore had a frown on his face. " Duo, may I check on Heero please?"

Duo snarled, but his hand wavered slightly. Searching those blue eyes again, he saw nothing but concern and worry, and Duo let his instincts take over. They had always served him well. Standing up from his crouch, he relaxed on the trigger of his weapon, engaging the safety automatically as he motioned for the Headmaster to come over. His muscles were still tense however, and he watched the rest of them with wary eyes, silently ordering them to stay the hell away. Hermione looked as though she was going to move closer anyway, and only Ron's hand on her arm prevented her from doing just that.

Dumbledore smiled at Duo, murmuring "Thank you," before kneeling next to the couch. He held his wand over Heero's body which made the hair on Duo's neck stand up and his trigger finger twitch, but he remained motionless, watching. After a minute, Dumbledore stood up, nodding.

" Professor?" Sirius was watching him, pale-faced. His bottom lip was chewed to pieces where he'd bitten it when Heero had screamed.

" Why did the spell go wrong?" Remus asked urgently. " What happened?"

Dumbledore looked them all in the eye, especially Duo. " I couldn't separate the two of them, because there was nothing to separate."

Confused looks sprouted on Sirius and Ron, but Remus, McGonagall and Snape gasped in understanding. Even Hermione had an amazed look on her face as she figured it out. Duo narrowed his eyes.

" Explain."

" I will, Duo. Severus, is there a way to confirm just how far back the merging was?" Albus asked. Snape nodded slowly, his face still pale.

" I believe so, Sir."

" I think it would be best if you got on that," the headmaster said wearily, and Snape nodded dumbly.

" Albus?" Sirius looked from Heero to the Headmaster. " What's going on?"

" There was nothing to separate," the headmaster repeated. " Harry is Heero and Heero is Harry."

" We were wrong in assuming that since Harry had been missing for six weeks in our time, he would only be in this time for the same length," Minerva began to explain slowly.

" We tracked Harry to this time, when his mind and magic were active," Remus said shockily. " Did something strange happen on that mission of yours six weeks ago, Duo?"

 Duo frowned. " No more then usual," he said shortly. Then his eyes widened. " But…"

" But what?" Remus pressed him.

" I don't know. Sally and Wufei were under heavy fire when we showed up to pull them out." Duo's eyes faded out slightly as he thought back to the hellish mission. " It seemed like there was no way to get them out. Heero was so determined to save them that he raced through a hail of bullets to get to where they were." He grinned slightly. " Of course, as soon as he started running, so did I. I wasn't going to let him risk his life like that by himself. I remembered thinking, 'any second now we're gonna die.' The bullets were flying everywhere – corporate thugs can't hit the broad side of the barn y'know – but one of them was _bound_ to hit its mark. Except none of them did." He blinked. " I was thinking how god damn lucky we were when we found Wufei and Sally, but they were staring at us in shock. Sally wanted to know how we had deflected the bullets. Apparently she thought she had seen something glowing around us. I told her it must have been the light reflecting off the gun fire or something, and then we were too busy getting them out. Heero took a bullet when he was binding Sally's wounds just enough to keep her from bleeding to death while we escaped. She had used all her strength to bind Wufei's." Duo came back to himself with a start. " Sally blamed it on the shock when she remembered later on, and smacked me and Heero for taking such a blind risk, running over like that. But could that glow she mentioned…"

" I believe that could have been a manifestation of Harry's magic," Dumbledore said, smiling as though something had been confirmed for him. In a way, Duo supposed it had been. " Six weeks ago was when Harry disappeared. Only a few days after that, we were searching for Harry's magical _signature_, trying to track him through time. It took a long time but finally, what we felt must have been that surge of magical power Heero used unconsciously. Sirius spent the last two weeks trying to confirm if Heero was really the on we were looking for."

" It was hard," Sirius admitted. " Heero has only the faintest hint of Harry's scent, and I couldn't figure out why he would have that at all."

" Scent?" Duo raised an eyebrow.  Sirius looked away. After a minute, Duo spoke. " What did you mean by tracking down when the merging took place?"

Dumbledore and Snape exchanged glances this time. Snape was the one who answered.

" Because Albus believes, and so do I, that Harry's mind and faculties, such as they are—"

Sirius growled.

"—were sent into Heero's body when Heero was an infant," Snape finished rather quickly, glaring at Sirius. Duo cocked an eyebrow.

" Say what?"

" Think about it Duo," Hermione said excitedly as she moved closer. Duo quirked a grin at her apparent forgetfulness at the loaded weapon he was still currently holding, and relaxed a bit. " If Harry merged with Heero at an age where Heero still hadn't formed his own coherent psyche and personality—"

" They basically are one and the same," Duo finished, an understanding light dawning in his expressive eyes. " Heero and Harry are the same person."

" But what about the scar?" Ron asked, his nose twitching with confusion. " This is all mind stuff – if Harry doesn't have his original body, why does Heero have his scar?"

" Magic," Duo guessed. " C'mon, you people would know more about this then me."

" I suspect you've hit the nail on the proverbial head, Mr. Maxwell," Dumbledore conceded. 

" So Heero is Harry," Duo repeated softly. He looked at all the astonished faces and then back at the face of his own lover, pale and sleeping on the couch in front of him. He ran a hand through his bangs, sliding it down the back of his skull to tug at the braid in sheer frustration, summing up the situation in two words.

" Well, fuck."

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End Chapter 6 Feedback please? Pretty please? Tell me what you liked, what you hated – anything at all! 

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[i] Fool, baka

[ii] Understood.


	8. Home Sweet Home

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:**

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:** Well, we know what happened – most of it anyway. Heero is Harry and vice versa. So…what happens next? ^^ Special thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far, especially **Shinigami** and **Autumn Ice** who have reviewed most of the chapters combined, as well as **nell-and-paru**, **Ranma**, and **Katrina**. I appreciate the feedback from everyone. ^^ It's very inspiring (hint, hint).  

**Also: **While Harry's name is still going to pop up here and there, he is going to be called Heero for the most part. 

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Chapter 7 (5-Aug-02) 

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Sirius watched Duo's tired eyes fixate on the still form of his lover, _his_ godson, and felt a wave of pity wash over him. It was so much to take in and absorb, and from what he'd bits of information he'd been able to glean from his trips to their headquarters, they had already had a pretty harsh life. The story about the 'hail of bullets' his godson had apparently hurtled through only six short weeks ago had made the skin on the back of his neck crawl, and his gut had twisted worse then someone suffering the effects of a Stomach Turner curse.

He glanced at Harry – _no_, he corrected himself. _It really is Heero now._ The lightning-shaped scar was the only familiar feature on the otherwise alien face. Harry's skin, normally pale from years of being cooped up under the stairs in his aunt and uncle's house, was now a golden brown. His body was no longer bordering on skeletal – indeed, his life in the future and the _adjustments_ Heero and Duo had alluded to had given him a trim and fit build, muscular but not overly so. There were a few additional scars on his arms and legs, revealed when Duo had pulled off Heero's jacket so he could rest more comfortably.

Sirius couldn't help but grin as he noticed Heero's hair sticking out messily in all directions. At least one thing had remained constant.

And his eyes…silently, Sirius bemoaned the loss of Harry's expressive and distinctive green eyes. They had been Lily's eyes, piercing and gentle, calm and fiery. Still, he reflected, it was better to see a change in Harry's appearance and personality then it was to lose him altogether. When he was sleeping, and yes – Dumbledore had assured them that Heero was merely asleep now – the expression on his face was one made familiar to him over the past few years of keeping vigil over his godson in the hospital wing.

Remus stood silently next to him, his own eyes roving over the 'new Harry', and Sirius took comfort in the other man's solid presence. He watched as Duo stroked his hand down Heero's arm and back up to flick a dangling forelock of hair away from his face. The closeness between the two was nearly tangible in its existence; it simply couldn't be denied.

That Harry/Heero was gay didn't bother him. Surprised yes, but he was hardly going to turn his own godson away. He'd had so little time with Harry before this whole mess had started that Harry could have been a cross-dressing converted Slytherin with a whole bloody _harem_ for all he cared. Not that it really mattered though - it seemed like Heero didn't really care too much about what they all thought of him.

That made him sigh, and Remus turned his head slightly, catching the worried and apprehensive look on his face. " Sirius?"

" Will he remember me?" Sirius asked quietly. " Will he remember any of us? Any of it?" He gave a short laugh, dry in the strange stillness that had fallen over the group after Duo's outburst a short while ago. " I used to wish that his bad memories could be wiped out, that he could forget everything that had happened to him. Cedric, Voldemort, all the injuries he suffered – I wanted him to be able to get back some of that innocence every child should have. He was never a child, Remus. He was never allowed to be one." His dark eyes met golden brown. " But now he doesn't remember any of the good times that came with the bad. Not to mention he's got a whole new stack of memories that we're – I'm – not even a part of."

Remus gazed at him sadly, wanting to comfort him, Sirius could tell. His old friend was like an open book when it came to those he cared about. " I know Siri."

" What do you plan to do?"

A quiet voice cut into their discussion, weary and resigned. Sirius blinked and he and Remus both turned their eyes on the boy perched on the edge of the couch, holding his braid in his hands, twisting it in what Sirius was coming to recognize as a nervous gesture. " What?"

" What do you plan to do?" Duo repeated, his purple eyes watching warily, as though unsure of what to expect. " Are you going to take him away with you? Wipe his memory? Fill in the blanks and then leave him here?" His voice rose with every sentence. 

" I don't know," Sirius admitted quietly. " This poses an enormous complication."

" To which I may have a solution," came a gentle voice. Sirius and Remus nodded politely as Dumbledore walked over to them. The elderly wizard looked about as tired as Duo did.

" Sir?" Remus cleared his throat. " How much will Heero remember?"

" I believe he remembers most of his life as Harry," Albus said quietly. " But the knowledge manifested as nightmares and dreams, and so Heero has come to accept it as false. It will take time, for Heero to adjust to having two full sets of memories in his head. It will take a great deal of time and patience."

Sirius blanched. Patience had never been his strongest attribute. But for Harry – Heero, he grumbled again, he would do his best. But that still left Duo's question unanswered.

" But what happens now?"

Dumbledore smiled. 

" I think a good rest would benefit everyone for now," he said, gazing around the room. 

Duo had claimed the couch with Heero, but Hermione and Ron had snagged the other one and had accidentally dozed off in the lull following their discovery about Heero. Snape was in the other room, already at work trying to track down the merger they had mentioned. Minerva was reading one of the texts they had used in the initial spell to get to the future in the first place, and assisting Severus when she could. Duo sighed.

" I don't suppose you could do that 'apperporting' trick again and take me and Heero home?" he asked wistfully. " A couch is never as comfortable as your own bed."

" _Apperporting_?" Remus repeated, one eyebrow raised. Dumbledore chuckled.

" I believe he meant _apparating_, Remus," he clarified. " And I agree with you whole-heartedly Mr. Maxwell. Perhaps some time to sleep and reflect would be best."

" But sir—" Sirius bit his lip as he looked from Heero to the Headmaster and back. Duo quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned.

" You can come with us if you want. We have a spare bedroom." His tone darkened just a bit. " It's not like we can run away from you guys, if that's what you're thinking. Not with all this magic stuff and all."

" I didn't mean it like that," Sirius murmured. " I just…it took so long to find him. I don't want to lose him again."

Duo's eyes narrowed as he caught the older man's words and he stared at Sirius, as though judging his sincerity for himself. Apparently Sirius passed his test, because the braided boy nodded and smiled again. 

" I just hope I can keep my stomach in line this time," he chuckled. Sirius recalled the first jump they had made and the sick expression on Duo's face, and he gave a small laugh of his own.

" But now you know what to expect," he reminded him. Stepping up to the pair, he turned to Remus and Dumbledore. " I'll bring them back tomorrow."

" After work," Duo said yawning. " Just because you guys have plans, doesn't mean we didn't already."

" It's quite all right," Dumbledore nodded. " Take your time. There's no rush right now. Though I expect Ron and Hermione will be quite…agitated when they wake up and find you three missing."

Duo frowned and thought about that for a few seconds, glancing down at Heero. Then he smiled. " We can bring them to HQ tomorrow. We can get one of the grunts to give 'em the guided tour to keep them occupied. Me and Heero are pretty caught up, but we're gonna have to explain a few things to the Lady and the others. Especially if you plan on taking Heero on an extended vacation." He stared hard at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. It was obvious that Gundam pilots didn't miss very much. Duo Maxwell was a very sharp young man.

" Is that the woman you kissed just before dragging Heero down the stairwell the other day?" Sirius inquired, grinning. Duo laughed.

" I'm one of the few people who can away with flirting like that," he said proudly. " She'll never admit it, but she loves me." He grinned cockily at Sirius and Remus, violet eyes flashing impishly. " Everyone does."

Sirius let out a loud guffaw of a laugh at the self-assured tone of voice. He really did like the kid. Looking at the indulgent smile on Remus's face, he knew the werewolf did too. There was something so likeable about the boy. They knew from his previous actions that the laughing face and slight build concealed a skilled and deadly fighter, but it was so easy to be fooled. Heero seemed to need someone like that. _Harry_ needed someone like that. Suddenly, Sirius was glad that if he couldn't have been there for Harry's second trip through life, at least had had someone like Duo to look after him.

" Perhaps you'd best be going," Dumbledore urged, his eyes still sparkling with laughter. Sirius nodded and Duo recited the address of the apartment he and Heero had gotten soon after the war had ended. Sirius focused on the address, willing his magic to obey him. As a last thought, he specified '_the living room_'. It wouldn't do to crash land in the loo or something.

With a soft _pop_, the three of them, Heero in Duo's arms and Sirius gripping the American's arm, disappeared.

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Sirius's first thought when he apparated into Heero and Duo's home, was that it was very small. He immediately berated himself for that thought – he was just used to comparing with Black Manor, or the Potter Mansion. Even Godric's Hollow, modest as is it was, was gigantic – the living room he appeared in could have fit in one of the Hollow's closets. 

He knew muggles were used to smaller spaces, unless of course they were very rich, and so he very wisely decided against making any such comments out loud. Instead, he turned to the pale-faced and quietly swearing Duo who was trying not to drop Heero as he adjusted to the instant transport.

" Need some help?"

Duo looked up with reluctant relief. " Please?"

Sirius nodded, and easily scooped Heero into his arms. " Where to?"

" Follow me." With another jaw-cracking yawn – Sirius noted with a start it _was_ extremely late – the American pilot led the way down the hall, his braid twitching behind him like the tail of a cat. Sirius chuckled at the thought of Padfoot chasing that _tail_ like a chew toy and followed.

The room Duo led him to, was actually very nice. It was fairly large in comparison to the living room, as though the design had placed a greater emphasis on the spaciousness of the bedrooms, and the large kitchen they had passed. The walls were painted a pale shade of blue, with a few posters of what Sirius assumed was some muggle band that probably wouldn't come into existence for him for a few centuries. He looked around the room, noting the few personal trinkets littered about, including a battered teddy bear sitting on the dresser next to what looked like a smaller, plush version of Duo with bat wings. He chuckled and Duo, hearing the sound, rolled his eyes when he saw what the wizard was looking at, flushing a faint shade of red. " It was gift," was all he would say, going over to the bed. The blankets and pillows on the bed were of a variety of colours and sizes, haphazardly tossed about and he knocked a few to the floor in order to make room for Heero. He pulled the sheets back and watched Sirius gently place the sleeping boy on it, before pulling them back up. He paused to brush the hair out of Heero's face as he had done back at the hotel. Sirius didn't comment. Then he straightened. " I'll show you your room."

Sirius gave one last look at his godson and followed the boy out of the room. Duo led him to one that was smaller, but no less pleasant, following a similar colour scheme in regards to the walls, but there were only a few pillows on the bed in various shades of blue and grey.

Duo leaned against the doorframe, yawning again. " I need a drink," he muttered. " You want something Sirius?"

Sirius sat on the bed, testing it out with a few bounces. He sent a tired grin at Duo. " I'll be out in a minute."

Duo nodded and disappeared. Sirius flung himself against the mattress, finding it not to plush yet not too firm. It felt wonderful, especially to someone who was still unused to sleeping on anything other then the ground. 

Staring up at the ceiling, Sirius closed his eyes as he thought back at all that had happened over the past few weeks. The shocking discovery of the previous few hours was the icing on the proverbial cake. There was so much he didn't know about his godson before that final battle with Voldemort. Now he knew even less. 

His fists clenched as he realized just how much he had lost. Opening his eyes, he stared unseeing at the ceiling. _James, Lily… I'm so sorry…_

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Duo looked up as Sirius walked into the kitchen. He had taken off his robes, and was wearing a pair of black jeans and a plain black tee shirt underneath. Duo took in his attire with an amused smirk. " Living up to your name?"

Sirius blinked and looked down at himself. He grinned sheepishly. " Well…"

Chuckling, Duo waved him over to the table as he opened the fridge. " Anything you want in particular?"

" What are you having?"

" Screwdriver," came the prompt reply. Duo pulled out a pitcher of orange juice and a jug of something else. Sirius read the label and his eyebrows rose.

" You drink?"

" On occasion," Duo said nonchalantly as he mixed the vodka into the orange juice. " Sometimes it helps."

" Helps what?"

" To block out the screaming," Duo said simply, sitting across from him. Sirius arched an eyebrow at him but Duo didn't elaborate. He handed a glass to Sirius who sniffed it once and then tasted it. He made a face.

" Not very sweet."

" Ahhh….but that is not the general purpose of alcohol," Duo said, wagging his finger. " Taste is secondary."

Sirius shook his head and grabbed both their glasses, taking them to the sink. Duo blinked. " Hey—"

With a wave of his wand, two large mugs appeared in front of them. Duo looked from them to Sirius. " What is it?"

" Butterbeer," Sirius grinned, taking one for himself. " Serves the same purpose as muggle alcohol. It just tastes better, and you need a whole lot more." He winked. 

" Sounds good to me. Cheers!" Duo chuckled, and tried it out. A smile appeared on his face. " Not bad, Black."

Sirius nodded and started on his own. As he enjoyed his butterbeer, his eyes roved around the kitchen curiously. They lit on a dagger on the counter and a revolver on top of the fridge. Looking the other way, He saw folders stamped '_Top Secret_' resting on top of the microwave-machine that Lily had once told him that was all he was allowed to use in her muggle-style kitchen after he and James had accidentally blown up the oven.

A few pictures clung to the fridge and Sirius squinted at them. Heero and Duo were dressed in matching uniforms, sitting with three other boys that looked every bit as young as they did. The blonde looked to be even younger. Sirius frowned.

Duo noticed the look and followed his gaze to the picture of him and the other Gundam pilots in their Preventor Uniforms. 

" What's up?"

" You look so young," Sirius said quietly, still staring at the photo. " All of you. Yet you're all hardened warriors." He looked back at Duo, his hands closing around the butterbeer mug. " What kind of world does this to children? Makes them kill?"

Duo was silent for a long minute before looking up at Sirius with ancient eyes. " One that felt it didn't have any choice."

Sirius drained the last of his butterbeer as he thought about Harry being the world's saviour at age one. In a weird way, he understood. With that depressing thought, he looked at the empty mug in front of him, and nodded firmly.

" We're gonna need a lot more."

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It was nearly three o'clock before Duo decided he had to get at least _some_ sleep before his alarm went off at seven. He told Sirius that he and Heero didn't have to be at the Preventor's HQ until ten so he could sleep as long as he wanted.

" What about you?" Sirius asked, a bit fuzzily from the butterbeer.

" Gundam pilots don't need a lot of sleep," Duo said airily, only weaving slightly. " Heero needs even less then I do most of the time, but one of the rules I made now states he can not get out of bed before the alarm. He's learning."

Sirius chuckled. " You really care about him, don't you?"

Duo shook his head. " No. I love him. There's a difference." He smiled at Sirius. " You know, none of you probably noticed it tonight, but Heero likes you. All of you. To a certain extent, he even trusts a few of you, which is pretty damn amazing."

" He does?"

Duo nodded. " I can tell. I've gotten used to deciphering Heero-speech. I can even tell you what the individual grunts mean."

That actually deflated Sirius a little. " He never used to be like that."

" I know." Sirius looked up to see Duo smiling at him a little sadly. " From what you've said, Heero is nothing like what you were expecting. He's had it rougher here, but don't even _think_ about pitying him. He won't stand for it, and you'll probably end up driving him away."

Sirius nodded slowly. " Thanks for the tip."

Duo waved at him. " De nada." Yawning one last time, he turned and staggered for the bedroom he shared with Heero. 

Sirius headed for the bathroom and performed a quick cleaning spell on his teeth, and then splashed his face with water. Turning the light off, he went back to the room Duo had given him for the night, climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep.

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End Chapter 7 

**Feedback please? **

C'mon – I'm desperate for comments. *blinks big puppy eyes* 

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	9. Dreaming of Reality

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:**

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:** Hmmmm….everyone wants all the G-boys in the HP universe? Hmmm…I don't think that will happen quite yet. After all, it was a pretty powerful time spell that sent the Hogwarts crew to the future, and we've already established they'll be hauling two extra and not one like they planned – Duo's not going to be left behind. Of course, that's if they go back at all. *winks* My, oh, my, what have I got planned…

Additionally, why does everyone assume that Duo and Heero will automatically seek out Draco and threaten the daylights out of him? Could be, just maybe anyway, that growing up in a war-torn world gives you a more mature outlook on school-yard scuffles – maybe Draco and his cronies simply aren't going to be worth their time. But one never knows, hmmm? ^^ Glad everyone seems to be enjoying this. And remember, there's lots more to come!

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Chapter 8 (9-Aug-02) 

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Heero was positive he was alive.

If he focused hard enough, he could faintly hear the lub-dub of his heartbeat. He was sure his hands and toes were wriggling if he tried. He was of the belief that he was simply asleep.

But he wasn't dead.

Tilting his head back, Heero balefully glared at the light blue sky, the sun's rays shining down on his face, warming his skin. He was standing in the middle of some kind of playing field on the lush green grass, encircled by gravel to outline what he was assumed was the out-of-bounds area. 

Banners flew merrily in the breeze, amazing, considering that it had to be a dream, and therefore there couldn't possibly be any wind. In front of him were three tall poles, the centre being a bit higher then the rest, with hoops on top. To all sides of him, he could see the stands where the spectators would sit. However, the seats were nearly thirty feet above his head. 

The whole scene was quiet and peaceful. A sense of contentment seemed to permeate the very ground upon which he stood. Heero folded his arms. This had to be someone's idea of a joke.

" It's not a joke," came a voice from behind him. Heero whirled around.

A short boy, rail-thin with messy black hair and thick glasses stared at him, smiling warmly. His eyes were bright green and shone with intelligence. And on his forehead, Heero could see the famous scar. Automatically he reached up to his own forehead, running his fingertips over the familiar gouge in the skin that Sirius had revealed to him.

" Who are you?"

The boy cocked his head to one side, still smiling. " Who do you think I am?" His tone was curious and friendly, the question an honest one. His eyes twinkled in a manner that Heero found a bit disconcerting. The sparkle seemed to be on the surface; if he looked deeper into the boy's gaze, he was sure he saw hints of something more, something dangerous.

Still, the Perfect Soldier wasn't easily intimidated. Heero stared at him levelly. " You're Harry Potter," he said finally, accusingly. " You're the one they've all been looking for."

The boy shook his head. " Mmmmm….close, but not quite." He stepped forward, still looking Heero in the eye. " I'm you. You're me. We're neither Heero Yuy nor Harry Potter." He grinned. " Kinda confusing, isn't it?"

Heero snorted. " I am not calling myself Heero Potter or Harry Yuy, if you're getting to that."

The boy chuckled, and Heero turned away. Looking up at the poles, he squinted a bit. 

" What are those things?"

" Quidditch goals." Harry appeared next to him, gazing up at the silvery hoops with a reminiscent smile on his face. 

" And they are for…"

" Playing Quidditch."

The boy reminded him annoyingly of his lover with the glib remark. Heero growled and glared at the bespectacled boy. " You don't happen to have a Maxwell in your family history somewhere, do you?"

Harry shook his head. " I'm afraid not."

Just as well. Two Duo's…well, Heero didn't think the world – neither past nor present – was ready for two Maxwell demons. He waved at the towers again and the surrounding bleachers above their heads. " Why is everything so high up?"

Harry gave him an appraising look. " Why do you think?" he returned quietly. 

Heero was about to coldly announce that he had no idea, hence the reason he had asked in the first place. Then an image flashed in front of him, and he blinked, staring.

It was like he – or a very close approximation of him – had darted out in front of himself, hovering above the ground, streaking along, scant inches above the grass before disappearing just before the apparition hit the stands.

" What was that?"

Harry didn't answer, but merely watched Heero with darker, expressionless eyes, the smile suddenly gone. It was like Heero's face had appeared on Harry's face, the green turning to dark blue and then back. Heero shook his head, and it was Harry standing there again.

" What was what?"

" That…whatever it was," Heero said slowly. He turned away from Harry and stared at the playing field again. " That ghost that looked like me. I was flying…"

" Flying, yes. But that wasn't a ghost." Harry looked up at the blue sky, smiling as though he saw something wondrous that Heero couldn't.

" Then what was it?"

" A memory."

Heero gasped as the silent figure appeared again, circling above them this time. Heero could make out his doppelganger riding a broom, not merely floating as he had thought before. Then he snapped his head to the side.

The stands were filled with people, some half-formed, some familiar but all with that same pale, see-through appearance as the first _memory_. Their mouths were open, some cheering, others seemed to be booing, but Heero couldn't hear anything. If he strained his ears, he could faintly pick out a buzzing noise, that no doubt would swell into thunderous applause if he could just remember where he knew this from—

" Watch," Harry breathed, reaching out and gripping Heero's arm with surprisingly strong fingers. Heero followed his animated gaze to the centre of the field again, hundreds of feet above their heads.

" What am I—" Heero began, but then his breath caught as he watched the boy above fall. His heart sped up as the broom and its rider neared the ground, their speed growing at an ever-increasing rate. His eyes were fixated on that slim figure, hurtling towards the grass, his arm outstretched, and unknowingly, his own arm reached out, mimicking the pose instinctively.

He could feel the wind whistle in his ears, the powerful winds being generated by the descent sending his hair streaming behind him. His robes were snapping as he plummeted. Dimly he could see something in front of him. A hint of shimmering gold, a flash of silvery light, inches from his fingertips. He strained a little bit harder – he was almost there—

Heero gasped as his fingers clutched empty air, watching as the mirage in front of him snapped up the golden object, its tiny wings – _wings?_ – fluttering madly like some kind of manic hummingbird. Heero panted slightly, the adrenaline leaving his body in a rush as he watched the figure pull out of the deadly dive, disappearing altogether.

" What…what WAS that?" he gasped, turning to face Harry. " Another memory?"

 He stumbled back in shock.

Harry had disappeared, and staring back at him was his own face. There was a faint smirk on his angled features, cool Prussian blue looking unimpressed as he checked himself out.

" What do you think?" Heero's twin asked. He was holding something in his hand. Tiny wings beat madly through his fingers where they had escaped. It was the thing Harry had been chasing. _This is the Golden Snitch_, an older voice told him in a friendly voice. _It's your job to catch it._

Heero watched as one half of his twin's face went a few shades paler, the cheekbone sticking out a bit. One eye turned bright green. The hair lightened from its customary black to dark brown. The messiness remained the same.

The amalgamation of Harry Potter and Heero Yuy stared at him, impassiveness and friendliness expressed at him in a strange combination of youthful teenager and hardened warrior. Both eyes had a hunted look to them.

Heero/Harry tossed the snitch at Heero who caught it automatically, his fist closing around the struggling golf-sized ball.

" You'll accept it," Heero heard the voice whisper as the world spun around him, colours colliding and smearing like an artist's palette. " You have to. For both our sakes."

Before Heero could ask what that meant, he saw two red eyes open up in the middle of the twisting maelstrom he was caught up in. A sinister voice rang out.

" Avada Kadavra!"

Green lightning shot out at Heero who threw his arms up in a desperate attempt to shield himself—

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--And shot upright in bed, letting the covers slip down to his waist as he gasped harshly for air. His chest heaved as he sucked in desperate gulps of air; sweat pouring down his face in rivers. His heart was racing nearly as fast as it had been when he had reached for the Snitch.

Slowly, Heero looked up and across the room where the large mirror attached to the dresser stood. His own eyes burned back at him, that damnable scar seeming to glow in the faint light shining through the window—

Wait a minute. Heero blinked as he realized he was home. He took in the piles of dirty laundry piled by the closet door, inches away from the hamper, a testament to Duo's apparently decreasing basketball skills. On the dresser was that silly looking stuffed animal that looked Duo with batwings, complete with a little brown braid, a gift from Duo's best friend Hilde on his last birthday. On the other side, was Heero's case with his laptop, safely stashed away on small shelf near the bed.

Had it all been a dream?

Heero thought he would feel a rush of relief at that, but was stunned to find a lump in his throat. He raised shaking fingers to his face and brought them away, staring with disbelief at the moisture collected at the tips.

He was crying.

Impossible! Heero blinked rapidly. This was silly, he reprimanded himself, and slowly moved to get out of bed. The sheets clung to him damply, a physical reminder of that terrifying voice from his memory and he squeezed his eyes shut.

It had just been a dream. A stupid, idiotic dream.

There no such things as wizards. He was not part of a merged psyche with some boy from the past. He couldn't do magic. And, he told himself bitterly, he certainly didn't have a family. No one that loved him except Duo. The sooner he remembered that, the better off he'd be. He pushed away all the strange thoughts that kept coming to the front of his mind, begging to be acknowledged. They weren't real.

Casting off the damp sheets, he grabbed a fresh tank top from the half-open drawer and pulled it on, deciding his shorts were good enough until he could shower and change into his Preventor uniform. He raked his hand through his sweaty hair, grimacing at the oily feel of it, and decided a shower was the first thing on his agenda for that morning. Then he left the bedroom.

He had intended to head straight for the bathroom, when a loud peal of laughter burst out of the kitchen stopping him in his tracks. He froze as he recognized it as Duo's. He went even colder inside when he heard a matching, much-lower voice chuckling along with his partner.

Reaching automatically for his gun, he cursed himself as his fingers grasped empty air. Giving up, he strode to the kitchen.

He stopped short as he took in the sight of his lover, still clad in a pair of baggy shorts and an over-sized tee-shirt, laughing at some story a dark-haired man, wearing old robes, was telling him.

Heero sagged against the wall as he watched Sirius Black cram a piece of toast into his mouth. The tiny sound he must have made caught both pairs of sharp ears, and Duo looked up at him, looking both extremely happy and relieved.

" Heero! You're awake! How do you feel?" 

Heero could only stare numbly at Sirius as memories assaulted him. Memories of Sirius riding Buckbeak, Remus teaching him how to cast a particularly difficult spell, Ron looking furiously at some blonde-haired boy, Hermione studying, a tree with wildly waving branches, a rat that somehow wasn't a rat, ghosts walking through walls, a three-headed dog being chased by a giant man shouting "Here Fluffy!", a nurse with a harried expression but kind eyes, a dragon with a golden egg—

Those memories were instantly overlaid with images of his Gundam, Doctor J handing him a gun, a little girl walking her puppy, aiming a gun at Relena, Duo shooting him, destroying the shuttle of pacifists, blowing up his Gundam, launching a rescue mission in space, trying to shoot through the reinforced shield of the underground base, Duo holding him in the hospital—

He let out a whimper as he sank to his knees, still clutching the wall as Duo and Sirius leaped to their feet.

" Heero?" Duo's voice sounded panicked and far away, as though Heero was hearing it through six feet of water. " Are you okay?"

" It was real," Heero whispered as he felt Duo's arms wrap around him. He could sense Sirius next to him and he reached out blindly, somehow both wanting and needing the man to hug him, to prove he was real. Sirius seemed to understand the wordless request and situated himself on his other side, his wiry but strong arms enfolding him. It was times like this that Heero thanked the stars above that Duo seemed to understand just what he needed, and refrained from saying anything about the strange behaviour of his lover. Instead, Duo tightened his grip and reached out, pulling Sirius closer to Heero.

Heero knelt there, sheltered in the arms of the two men that cared about him the most. His lover, and the one person Heero realized was like a father to him. He closed his eyes.

" It's all real…"

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End Chapter 8 

I realize I probably could have made this longer (it's about one page shorter then the others) but this was a great place to stop, so that the next one can be even longer. ^^ Did that make sense?

This chapter is dedicated to Sentinal cat who wasn't content with just the FFNet reviews, and sent me a personal email that was very encouraging. *hugs*  Thanks SC!

Also, to LMN who reviewed every chapter – and incidentally, who I'm VERY glad to see is in good health despite reports to the contrary. *thwaps* Don't scare me like that! *hugs tightly*

**Feedback please?**

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	10. Meeting thefamily?

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:** What – my reviewers calling it quits? Chapter 8 only got like a few responses. *frowns* I don't know how to take this. Is my work not worth reviewing? So good it doesn't need it? So bad you clicked right back out of it? Am I doing everything you want and therefore you don't need to make suggestions?

It only takes a second and it really helps me out as a writer. I write to please myself, and I certainly won't withhold chapter's b/c of a lack of feedback, but it really does help me improve, as well as encourages me to post faster.

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Chapter 9 (11-Aug-02) 

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Heero had fallen back into his customary silence shortly after coming to his senses. Duo had known the exact moment the Perfect Soldier had regained control but the sudden stiffness in his limbs and had broken away, gently but firmly pulling Sirius with him.

As though nothing unusual had happened, Heero had stood up, given them both morning nods, and had set about getting his own breakfast together from the mountain of leftovers piled on the counter. A single eyebrow had been raised at the amount of food, but Duo had quickly explained that Sirius had conjured it up for them and knew even less about restraint then he did. 

" I'm going for a shower," he said curtly, exiting the kitchen. Duo nodded absently and gathered up the dishes. He paused, watching Sirius stare at the empty doorway with a sad expression.

" Ignore it, Sirius," he advised, setting the plates and glasses on the counter so he had a free hand to open the dishwasher. " He'll snap out of it by the time he finishes his shower."

" Snap out of what?" Sirius asked, rising to give him a hand. 

" That 'Perfect Soldier mode' he goes into every now and then," Duo answered him, busily stacking the plates. " Whenever he shows too much emotion, or something just plain old throws him for a loop, Doctor J's training kicks in as a way of coping." Duo paused in his work, leaning against the washer and gazing at Sirius with a serious expression. " It's mostly Heero's story to tell, but the bottom line is that Heero was raised to believe that emotions are an exploitable weakness. He was never allowed to show compassion, sympathy, remorse, happiness, sadness – anything that makes someone human. Doctor J wanted him to be a human robot – machine-like, emotionless." Duo gave a small, sad smile. " After all, they can't have a killer angsting over what he does for a day job."

" A killer…" Sirius looked back at the doorway.

" He was trained to be an assassin before J scooped him up and began making him the Perfect Soldier," Duo said, resuming his work. The glasses began to fill the top rack. 

Sirius handed the braided boy the last of the dishes from the table. " That's when Heero fought in the wars? And met you?"

" Me and four others, but yeah, I was first." Duo quirked a real grin. " Our meeting was a real _explosive _one, you could say."

Sirius grinned. " Really?"

" Yeah. I shot him twice."

The glass Sirius was holding slipped out his grasp and struck the floor. Duo eyed the shards of glass scattered on the tiles and then frowned thoughtfully at Sirius. " Maybe I should have started at the beginning?"

" Please do." Sirius's voice was frigid.

Duo shrugged. " I happened to be at a base that Heero had been sent to destroy. We were on the same mission but we didn't know it. I had finished taking out the suits located underwater – Deathscythe's thermal blades are the only weapons that work as well underwater as they do on land."

" Deathscythe?"

" My Gundam. I found another Gundam lying on the ocean floor, in self-destruct mode." Duo shook his head. " Such a beautiful piece of work – there was no way I was wasting that! I stopped the suit from blowing up and attached it to my suit for transport back to the surface. Then I swam out and up to see what was going on above before Using Deathscythe to blow up the missile launch station." 

His eyes went distant as he relived the old memory. " I heard some girl scream Heero's name and I headed up on deck to see Heero pointing a gun at some girl in a party dress. He was about to kill her so I interfered." He grinned cockily. " I shot him in the arm and he dropped his gun. He didn't like that very much and went for his gun again, and I shot him again. Then the girl threw herself in front of him and asked me what I thought I was doing."

Duo snorted. " Ex-_cuuuuuuuuuuse_ me! I thought I was saving her ungrateful life! Turns out she had followed Heero – she had a crush and apparently stalking was the 'in thing' that year – to stop whatever he was doing. While I argued with her, she patched him up, and then I saw Deathscythe bringing the other Gundam to the surface, ahead of schedule. Before I could do anything though, Heero had thrown himself onto a stack of missiles and set them off before throwing himself into the water. He knew the Gundams impact tolerance, and that's how I knew he had to be another pilot. He was picked up by rebels and taken to their hospital. I busted him out and went on to the rest of the war."

Sirius had gone back to his seat to listen and was now glowering at him. " You shot him? Twice?"

" Yup." Duo grinned at him. " Still stuck on that, are you?"

Sirius glared at him. " Forgive me if I'm a little stunned. It's a bit shocking to hear that my godson has been nearly killed. And by the person who loves him!"

" Well, I wasn't with him at the time, " Duo defended himself. " Geez."

" Like that would have stopped you anyway," came a dry voice from the doorway. Duo blinked and Sirius turned in his chair. Heero stood in the doorway in his khaki Preventor pants, a green tank top and was vigorously rubbing a towel through his spiky dark-brown hair. " After firing missiles on Deathscythe, I was a dead man no matter what."

" Or when certain somebody's steal Deathscythe's parts for their own Gundam," Duo shot back.

" Are you _still_ angry about that? I already apologized. And it was necessary for the—"

"—mission, I know," Duo finished with a smile. " I just like picking on you."

" You and everyone else," Heero muttered. He looked at Sirius who was chuckling broadly at their banter, and felt his memories sort themselves into their proper slots. " Hello Sirius."

The quick shower had done him some good. His memories had returned rather quickly after the shock of seeing both Sirius and Duo in the kitchen, the dream juxtaposed with the reality in front of his very eyes. He now had both sets of memories trying to align themselves properly, and though he was still very confused, at least the person claiming to be his godfather wasn't a stranger anymore.

Sirius had blinked in shock as Heero greeted him with a very familiar, if quiet, tone of voice. " Heero?"

" And Harry," Heero shrugged. " I think my memories have all come back – I just have to sort them out." He gave a weak smile. " It's rather difficult trying to remember what I did as one twelve-year old in one timeline, and what I did at the same age in the other."

" I'll bet," Sirius muttered. " But you're okay now?"

" I think I will be."

" Thank god." Sirius stood up and stalked over to Heero and wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Duo's jaw dropped as slowly, almost hesitantly, Heero's arms came up to hug him back.

" I wish I had a camera."

" Baka," came the muffled retort against Sirius's robes. Duo grinned. At least some things hadn't changed.

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Hermione paced around the main room of their hotel suite anxiously. Ron counted off as she marched back and forth. 

One-two-three-four-five-six-seven – reach the end, whirl around so fast her robes fly up and flashes a bit of skin and heads on back-One-two-three-four-five-six—

" Hermione, would you stop?" He finally shouted at her, holding his head in his hands. " I feel like I'm watching one of those muggle sports – Venice or something—"

" Tennis," Hermione corrected him without slowing down.

"—Tennis, whatever, and you're making my head hurt!"  Hermione didn't seem to be inclined to stop, so Ron shrugged and picked up one of the pillows next to him on the large, plush couch and threw it at her. It struck her in the head, bringing her to a halt.

" What was that for?" she demanded, reaching for the fallen projectile.

Ron shrugged. " It made you stop." 

Hermione scowled and flung the pillow back at him. He caught it easily.

" What's got you so wound up?" He wanted to know. " Dumbledore already told us they just went home for the night, and Sirius is with him. He's fine!"

" I know, it's just…" Hermione's voice trailed off and she moved over to the couch. Ron sidled over enough to give her room as she sat down next to him. " He's been missing for so long – we thought he was dead – and now he's back and he doesn't remember us and now he's gone again." She gave Ron a weak smile. " I'm just worried about him."

" I know you are, 'Mione," Ron said quietly. " I am too. But everything will turn out all right. This is The-Boy-Who-Lived, remember? He's got the devil's own luck."

" I hope so," Hermione replied, sniffling quietly.

" What's with all the glum faces?" came a familiar cheerful voice. Hermione and Ron jumped off the couch and whirled around to see Heero, Duo and Sirius standing behind them. Duo waved cheekily. " It's bad enough trying to keep the glums off these two – don't tell me I have to start telling you bad jokes too!"

" Those bad jokes are what gave us the 'glums' in the first place," Sirius grinned. Duo scowled. 

" I think I liked you better when you were brooding—ACK!"

Heero had reached out and given Duo's braid a quick tug. " Quiet."

" Spoilsport," Duo pouted, sticking out his tongue, but the grin never left his eyes. Hermione looked Heero over carefully and saw an answering twinkle in his as well.

" So are you guys ready to come on Maxwell's Tours for the Magically Inclined?" Duo asked, leaping over the back of the couch and landing cross-legged on the biggest cushion.  He cocked his head as he smiled at Hermione and Ron. 

" I believe they are, Mr. Maxwell," said Dumbledore, smiling warmly at the group as he entered the room. " Heero, how are you this morning?"

Heero had watched the man enter silently, going through his jumbled memories. " Fine, sir."

" Of course you are," the Headmaster chuckled. " Of course you are."

" Harry—Heero, I mean," Professor McGonagall sighed as she followed behind the Headmaster. " I am never going to get that straight. Are you going to the…Preventor's was it?"

" Yes ma'am," Heero said politely, although somewhat reserved. His eyes seemed to drill holes right through her head. His eyes were so old, so wary. They were almost frightening. 

" So serious—"

" Hey!" Sirius objected.

"—it's hard to believe you and Harry are the same person…" She shook her head. " Ah well. Hermione, Ron, be very careful. Don't use your magic, we don't know what the Ministry's like here—"

" Which is something we'll find out today," Remus finished her sentence for her. " I want to know what's happened here in the future. If Hogwarts is still around."

" We'll be done early today," Duo murmured, shooting a quick look at his partner who nodded in confirmation.

" Sirius? Are you coming with us?" Hermione asked. 

" Of course!" Sirius glanced at Heero, smiling brightly as Heero gave him a small one in return. " I want to see this place without peeking through an Invisibility Cloak."

" Which form are you going as, Padfoot?" Remus inquired curiously. Sirius blinked and threw him a dangerous look. Duo looked interested.

" What did he mean by that?"

" I think 'Padfoot' should definitely come along," Heero said suddenly, with a faint smirk. " He can come with us to see what the tour won't show."

Sirius studied his godson carefully and then nodded. Duo was about to ask for some kind of clarification when all of a sudden, Sirius disappeared. Duo blinked in astonishment as a large black dog appeared on the floor in front of him, wagging his tail excitedly. It was a huge dog, with large paws and a thick silky coat. But his eyes were still Sirius's and when Duo crouched down, still gaping, he saw them gleam with intelligence. 

" Wha—" Duo croaked. The big dog seemed to get impatient and nudged against the braided boy. In his stupor, Duo fell over, still staring.

" Is he all right?" Ron whispered to Hermione who watched Duo worriedly.

" Perhaps we should enervate him—"

" He's fine," Heero interrupted them, watching his lover with amusement. " Any second now—"

" THAT is _SO_ COOL!" Duo squealed, exploding up from the ground to glomp the dog around the neck. He pulled back and stared at Sirius, his grin stretching from ear to ear. " Was that a spell? How did you do that?  Can anyone do that? Can _I _do that? Can Heero? Do you have a dog mind or a human mind?"

" Duo!" Chuckling, Heero reached out and snagged his partner by the braid, pulling him up to give Sirius some room. " Sirius is an animagus – that's how he can transform."

" An illegal Animagus," McGonagall said, frowning, but her eyes were still smiling.

Sirius turned back into a human and grinned at Duo. " I really like him, " he said, shooting an approving look at Heero who smiled and nodded back.

Duo was still watching him in amazement. " Man oh man – invisibility cloaks, wands, spells, changing forms…." He shook his head. " If only I could have known about this stuff during the war—"

" Yeah," Heero said faintly. Duo's head snapped up. Heero's eyes were dark, not looking at anyone in particular. Instantly, Duo was in front of him, reaching out to cup the side of Heero's face in his hand. Heero's eyes came back into focus, looking into light violet pools.

" With me, Hee-chan?" Duo asked softly. Heero nodded and then his own eyes became stern.

" Duo—"

" I'm fine, Heero," Duo cut him off. " Yeah this stuff would have come in handy back home, but you can't change the past. You told me yourself we can only influence our future." He grinned cockily, but Heero could still see the darkness hiding in the back of his eyes.

" Duo—"

" So are we going?" Duo whirled around, clapping his hands once. He waggled his finger at the group, still staring at them. " If we're late and Lady Une skins us alive, it's going to be all your fault."

" We can't have that now, can we?" Dumbledore smiled. " Are you ready to go?"

Hermione and Ron nodded eagerly. Sirius looked worriedly at Heero who was giving his partner an exasperated glare before shrugging resignedly. " Let's go."

They gathered in a group, and Dumbledore waved his wand over them. The last thing the teachers heard was Duo's cheerful voice.

" This is way cooler then taking the bus!"

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Preventor HQ was actually a large building in the centre of the city, specifically chosen because the top of the structure gave the agents line-of-sight across the country in all directions, making it perfect for the satellite set-up that covered the roof. 

Lady Une prided herself on running a state-of-the art agency that specialized in preventing government and terrorist problems by stopping them before they had a chance to get started. The first few floors were devoted to civilian and entry-level workers, mainly in Accounting or doing the filing in the underground structure that held backups of everything in the building. There was a team devoted to making copies of everything filed, every day – every scrap of information, every intelligence report, for safe deposit in the Vault. The team was secure, of highly ranked war veterans who knew what 'security' and 'non-disclosure' meant. Trying to get in the underground Vault was nearly impossible with the combined threat of the team, and the security system Heero Yuy himself had designed with input from the other Gundam Pilots.

The next few floors were for officers, with barracks and living quarters for those who stayed there for 'round the clock security. These floors had their own private elevator located at the rear. 

Floors eight, nine and ten were filled with radio equipment, and transmitting devices. There were a few scientists scattered around, usually cooking up new gadgets and devices to help the agents do their jobs.

There were several floors devoted to labs, so the agency could do their own sample studies and analysis's without having to compromise security by bringing in outside help. Lady Une had taken particular pride in these floors, modelling them after the highly effective and sterile lab environments she had presided over during her days in Oz. They had the most up-to-date equipment thanks to the funding provided by Queen Relena of Sank, and was recognized as the top lab in the world.

The final two floors were restricted to all but the Inner Circle of the Preventor's, and whomever had a special pass issued to gain access. The security to the top two floors was as heavy as the designs on the Vault.

It always gave Heero a sense of self-satisfaction to be able to just walk into the private elevator and push the button for that floor without ever having to explain himself to the people on guard. It amused him, and Duo and too, he knew, to see the dropped jaws of the newbie workers who waited to see if security would haul them out. He and Duo – as well as the rest of the Gundam pilots – didn't look like the trained terrorists they were. None of them were even over sixteen. 

Heero masked a grin as he and Duo ushered Ron, Hermione and 'Snuffles' into the elevator. As usual, Duo leaned out and waved goodbye to the gawkers, pulling back just as the doors closed.

" This is a real 'elnavator'?" Ron asked excitedly, looking at the buttons with a longing expression. Hermione watched him warily, ready to pull him back if he decided to try punching them all at once. " Dad would love this!"

" Elevator," Duo said, smiling. He found Ron's antics vastly amusing, and had had a great time introducing the redhead to the wonders of the buzzer, the swipe card, and the security video camera. " Your dad likes this kind of stuff?"

" He's fascinated with Muggle creations," Hermione answered, smacking Ron's fingers sharply as he reached for the big red button marked 'Emergency stop'. " As is he."

" Cool."

The elevator let out a soft chime, and an electronic voice announced they had arrived at the top floor. The doors slid open revealing the large room, with several well-lit corridors branching off in various directions.

A blond boy had been looking out the window, turning when the elevator had opened.

" Hey Duo! Heero!"

" Quatre!" Duo yelped, and launched himself at the blonde boy. Hermione and Ron watched as the frail-looking boy caught the flying American easily, twisting in mid air and landing on Duo with a thump on the ground. The blonde pinned Duo's arms to the ground and declared loftily, " I win!"

" Damn," Duo groused. The blonde laughed and got off him, holding out his hand to pull him up. Then he turned to see all the strangers accompanying Heero. His eyebrow rose questioningly, but he did nothing more then step forward, his hand outstretched. 

" Hello! I am Quatre Rebarba Winner," he said, smiling pleasantly. Hermione grasped his hand firmly with an answering smile.

" Hermione Granger. I'm pleased to meet you."

Quatre nodded. " Likewise. " He held out his hand to Ron who took it eagerly, pumping it up and down.

" Ron Weasely!"

" And this is 'Snuffles'," Heero said, fighting back the urge to grin at the look of complete incomprehension that crossed Quatre's face as he looked at the big black dog holding his paw out. With a laugh, Quatre knelt down to shake the dog's paw solemnly, proving his manners were nothing if not impeccable. 

" Pleased to meet you, Snuffles."

Standing, he looked at Heero and the smiling Duo. " I just _know_ there's a story here."

" You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Quat," Duo said, shaking his head.

" Quatre! Have Yuy and Maxwell arrived yet?" A sharp, strident tone rang out, and Ron and Hermione watched as Duo's eyes seemed to narrow with evil, mischievous intent. Ron glanced at Quatre and Heero who exchanged a look and then stepped back.

A slender, black-haired Chinese boy stormed into the room, a sword at his side. " Maxwell! You're late again! And dragging Heero along as well! We have been waiting for you to begin the meeting and—" he stopped suddenly, as he registered the two strangers and the big black dog standing with Heero and Duo. The dog was on its feet, growling.

" What's going on?" he asked instead, switching tangents without missing a beat. " Do they have the clearance to be here?"

Heero gave him an evil look that implied death if Wufei was accusing him of lousy security. Duo smirked.

" WUFFERS!" he roared, tackling the Chinese boy in the same style he had Quatre, but with much more effectiveness. The boy disappeared under the attack, cursing obscenities at Duo, as well as making general references to his parentage as the braided boy rolled with him across the ground.

Another boy, with long brown bangs that covered one eye, stepped warily into the room, eyeing the two combatants with a resigned smile. Then his eyes lit on the blonde boy standing with Heero and two newcomers, and he crossed the room quickly, leaping easily out of the way as Duo and Wufei rolled by again, trading holds and counter holds. He landed next to Quatre and wrapped one arm around his waist as he greeted Heero before turning his curious green eyes on Ron and Hermione.

" This is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely," Heero introduced them. A low growl and a persistent nose in the leg reminded him. " And this is Snuffles. Guys, this is Trowa Barton."

Trowa nodded politely at Ron and Hermione and then knelt down to say hi to Snuffles. He stroked the big dog's head gently, scruffing his ears before standing back up.

Heero sighed. " Whose turn is it today to break them up?"

Quatre poked Trowa. " Better get to it." He smiled angelically when Trowa shot him a dirty look and headed out to break up the fight.

Hermione watched anxiously. " Is Duo all right?" she asked worriedly, as Trowa threw himself into the fray. " That other boy won't hurt him will he?"

" Wufei?" Quatre shook his head. " Nah – they do this all the time. It's become a kind of ritual greeting for them. They enjoy it, though you'll never get Wufei to admit it. He likes having someone to spar with, and Duo's a really good fighter."

" Why not Heero?" Ron asked curiously. Quatre grinned, sending an apologetic smile at Heero.

" 'Cause Heero could break him in half."

" And you?" Hermione asked, still watching as Trowa managed to snag Duo by the braid and Wufei by his ponytail, hauling them up and walking them over like chastised children.

" They won't fight with me," Quatre said, mock-pouting. " They think I'm too weak."

" No, we're just afraid Rashid will break our legs if we hurt you," Duo said, still breathing heavily from his morning tussle. His eyes were bright and sparkling as he twisted out of Trowa's grip. Wufei walked over, his eyes a little warmer then they had been before. " Rashid's even scarier then Heero."

" Not to mention that army that follows him," Wufei added. " Despite life's annoyances—" he shot Duo a quick look that Duo returned by sticking out his tongue."—I happen to be satisfied with life, and have no wish for it to end yet."

" I don't know what you're talking about," Quatre said, shaking his head. " They wouldn't hurt you and you know it. They're all such nice people!"

Duo grinned.

Ron looked at Trowa curiously. " Do you ever speak?"

Trowa smiled faintly as Duo laughed out loud. " When I have something to say."

" Yuy, who are these people? And that…dog," Wufei added, warily looking at the giant animal sitting there with a frighteningly intelligent expression.

Heero sighed and went through the introductions again, noting that Quatre's eyes had fallen on him sharply, one hand coming to rub at his chest in that thoughtful, casual way that meant his Space Heart was telling him something. He shook his head at the Arabian who raised one eyebrow suspiciously before nodding slightly. Heero smiled thankfully, making both of the blonde boy's eyes streak towards his hairline at the un-Heero-ish behaviour.

" Why are they here?" Wufei continued, eyeing Ron and Hermione suspiciously.

" I'm gonna get Grant to give 'em the grand tour while we're in our meeting," Duo said, reaching for the intercom on the wall. 

" Give them something to do while we pretend to do something official."

" Max_well_—"

" Wuf_fers_—oh, hey Grant." Duo turned to his conversation, ignoring Wufei who growled.

" So what's going on?" Trowa asked quietly. He had not missed the exchange Heero had had with Quatre, nor the quick way Duo had dismissed Wufei.

" It's a long story," Heero said finally. " One that you'll hear about later."

Duo hung up the handset attached to the receiver and came back over. " Grant's on his way up."

" Hermione, Ron – Grant will give you the grand tour," Heero told them briskly. " Hermione, ask him for one of the training manuals – if Grant can't answer all of your questions, the book will. There's an index in the back for quick references."

Hermione smiled. That was a hint of Harry showing through. She began to relax a bit as she finally realized her old friend wasn't as gone as she thought, and the familiar twinge of excitement coursed through her at the thought of learning something new. She nodded. 

Ron rolled his eyes at her excitement over getting yet another book, when Heero focused on him. " Ron, ask Grant to take you to the training area – you'll probably like that." Heero smiled. " It's kind of like an Auror training room, except with no magic."

Ron blinked as Heero mentioned magic, but saw that Quatre, Trowa and Wufei looked merely interested, not shocked, or demanding for Heero to explain. He nodded slowly, his eyes lighting up. " Cool, mate."

At the familiar addressing, the other pilots did look shocked, particularly when Heero did not even give them one of his patented death glares, but amazingly they refrained from saying anything. Ron looked at Snuffles.

" What about him?"

" He'll be staying with me and Duo," Heero said, quirking on lip upwards. Wufei looked aghast. 

" Bringing the dog into the meeting?"

" He's a very smart dog," Heero deadpanned. Quatre laughed.

" Noin, Hilde and Lady Une will probably spoil him to death," he said, still chuckling. " They're admitted dog-people."

Snuffles perked up.

Heero tugged on the leash. " But he'll behave – won't he?" He glared at the dog, who whimpered and nodded. Only Trowa caught that quick movement of the dog, and he stared, switching his gaze back and forth from the dog to Heero, who noticed and gave a silent groan.

'Later', he mouthed, and Trowa nodded slowly, giving the dog one last glance before following Quatre who was headed for the meeting room. Wufei headed after them. The elevator behind them opened with the same electronic voice announcing the rider's destination, and a handsome young man stepped out, snapping a crisp salute as he registered the elite's presence.

" Sir! Lieutenant Grant reporting for Duty!"

" At ease, Grant," Heero said dryly. He wasn't much for military protocol. Neither was Duo, who had waggled his fingers in response to Grant's salute. " This is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely. They would like to see the Preventor HQ up close and personal."

" Yes sir!" Grant smiled at the two strangers watching him with friendly looks. " It would be my pleasure."

Heero nodded. Duo had picked Grant because the man was a friendly and fun guy who was easy to get along with. He was also a top-notch soldier, just behind the Gundam pilots in his marksmanship and would take good care of his friends. " let them go where they want – you guys have full clearance. Anyone complains, tell them to take it up with me personally."

" Understood sir." Grant looked at Ron and Hermione. " Shall we go?"

" Yeah!" Ron cheered, waving quickly at Heero, Duo and Sirius before practically dragging Grant and Hermione into the elevator. " I want to push the button!"

" Not that one—"Hermione's exasperated voice was cut off as the doors slid shut. Duo chuckled.

" They'll have fun with Grant."

" So what rank are you?" Sirius asked, transforming with a smile. Heero shook his head.

" The pilots and I don't have any official rank, save that we're higher then anyone else in the building, save Lady Une herself. She offered to give us rankings but we declined them."

" Yeah," Duo put in. He tugged at his braid with a grin. " We're not exactly military-style anyway."

" Change back, 'Padfoot'," Heero said. " It's time for the meeting."

Sirius turned back into Padfoot's familiar form, and the two agents with their new 'pet' headed off to work.

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End Chapter 9 Next up, Dumbledore and company discover what the future has in store for Hogwarts! It's not what you would expect, either. Trust me on this one. ^^ Feedback pretty please? It really does make me write faster – how else would I have gotten this part out so soon? 

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	11. Again with the Explanations

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP)  Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:** Who'da thunk calm and rational BEGGING would garner reviews? ^^ Thanks a lot you guys! What a way to restore one's self-esteem. I also noticed a lot of interesting suggestions; don't be surprised if one or two finds its way here.

Also, check out some fan art done for this fic at Crossover Corner's Parallel Pics Page, here at the Domain! (if hyperlink doesn't work, use yee old copy-and-paste: http://stormyfics.homestead.com/parallelpics.html)

Additionally, I apologize for the length of time it took to get this out. Hassles at work revolving around a constantly changing schedule, the death of my uncle, getting ready for year 2 of Police Foundations, and so on and so forth etc, etc, conspired to keep me from sitting at my pc for any substantial length of time, and I really do write all of my chapters in one-shot – I simply need to find a span of at least 3 hours or so in which to do it. The pics come out faster since I can do them at work, doodling in my sketchpad when the call volume is low.

Anyway, thanks again for all the kind reviews – I read each and every one, and they really are appreciated. 

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Chapter 10 (8-Sep-02) 

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" Well…" Remus said, clearing his throat. " I can honestly say I wasn't expecting this."

Various murmurs of agreement escaped the other. Snape's eyes narrowed as he stared up at the empty, crumbling field that had once been the foundation of the greatest wizard's school that had ever existed. Piles of crushed rock and brick were all that remained, weatherworn and faded from years of exposure to the elements, and, Snape surmised to himself, probably a few wars of its own.

It was hard to tell that such an imposing structure ever existed. Weeds flourished and ran rampant through the scattered debris, the wind picking up the dust particles, lifting them up and settling them down, over and over again. Severus had to fight back the distinct urge he suddenly had to shed a tear over the loss of the one place that had ever truly felt like home to him.

Remus crouched down, extending his keener senses outward, trying to pick up even the barest trace of magic, of something familiar, but there was nothing. " It doesn't look like there was anything here at all."

" We must be centuries in the future," McGonagall said quietly, her sharp eyes picking out the details. " It is difficult to tell. When precisely did the calendar system 'After Colony' begin?"

" Another question to ask Heero when they return from work," Dumbledore answered her. Despite the sadness in his eyes, he looked the least shocked of all of them, as though he had suspected what they had discovered. Minerva raised her eyebrow. 

" Headmaster?"

" I knew that Hogwarts had disappeared form this earth the moment we arrived in this time," he answered her unspoken question, smiling at the concern she showed in her eyes. " As the headmaster, I have deep ties with the very magical essence that makes up the school. I felt no such ties when we came here." He shook his head, turning to look back at the empty field. " I merely wish to discover what happened."

Remus stood up. " I can feel any magic, either through my wand or using my 'alternate's' abilities. The most I can smell is something similar to gunpowder but more intense. This place was attacked."

" Voldemort?" Minerva asked, raking her eyes across the barren landscape. She couldn't take her eyes off the sheer _emptiness_. Remus shook his head.

" No. No magic, remember? " He smiled bitterly. " Heero and Duo told us how this world was brutalized by war. It only stands to reason that magic simply wasn't enough to stand up against it."

" Muggles always did have a talent for destruction," Snape muttered under his breath.

The four of them stood there silently for a few more minutes, listening to the wind whistle through the remains. Minerva crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back on the depressing sight.

" I believe I will return to the hotel," she said quietly, almost numbly, and vanished before the others could comment. Remus had a sad look of concern on his face but didn't say anything. Severus flicked an eye at where the deputy headmistress had stood and then looked at the Headmaster.

" I think Minerva has the right idea." He waved his hand at the field. " There is nothing left. And frankly, I'm not sure I want to see the remains of the Ministry right now."

Remus nodded and the two of them blinked away.

Dumbledore watched his colleagues disappear. He knew it had to be difficult for them all to see the remains of Hogwarts. The school was more then just a place of learning for so many of his students. It was a place of growing, of healing, of laughter and of love. Families began there, lifelong friendships struck up and forged in the face of their common enemy – the teachers. Hogwarts wasn't so much a school as it was a community, and despite the tempers that flared, and the oppositions built, he knew that there wasn't a Hogwarts student that didn't see the castle as anything else, no matter the voices to the contrary.

The pain in his heart over the school's destruction was immense but the knowledge that _his_ Hogwarts was alive and well counteracted the pain quite effectively. Raising one hand, Dumbledore closed his eyes, feeling the magic within him, seeking the few thin threads that still lurked about the magical mausoleum. Remus Lupin's abilities were impressive, but being tied to the very school enabled Dumbledore to _fix_ on the site, and view the school's destruction for himself.

A few minutes passed. A single teardrop fell from the older man's face, striking the dust at his feet, imprinting it with his sorrow. The Dumbledore opened his eyes, nodded once in goodbye and disapparated without another sound.

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Duo had been right. The instant he and Heero had set foot in the main conference room with Sirius, Noin, Hilde and Sally had fallen head over heels for the big, black dog, who obliged his admirers by rolling over and offering his tummy up for rubs.

" Shameless," Duo snickered, laughing even louder when Sirius had growled and rolled one eye up to glare at him.

Heero couldn't help but snicker as well, and once again he had felt Quatre, Trowa and Wufei turn incredulous eyes in his direction. 

The meeting had gone smoothly. The new information gathered the previous day about the new White Fang faction, dubbed 'Razor Claw' in order to differentiate them from their predecessors, had been distributed, debated over and filed away with swiftness and it was no wonder – the new intel was pretty much beating a dead horse, supplying none of the pilots with anything truly unexpected. Duo had threatened to fall asleep halfway through the distribution but a few nudges from Quatre, a tug on the braid from both Wufei and Heero, and finally, a bite on the ankle from one highly amused Sirius had kept the American from dozing off.

" Stupid dog," Duo muttered, rubbing his ankle with an injured look. Sirius feigned complete innocence, curling up to Heero for protection. Heero automatically pet the animal, noting with a sigh that Trowa was staring again. Terrific.

" Are we done now?" Duo whined, waving his papers in an effort to get his point across. " We've read this stuff a hundred times before, but we can't do anything without more solid proof, something our agents have yet to come up with. I don't see why we have to have daily meetings about the same thing over and over."

" It's to make sure some of this information actually stays in your head," Quatre said sweetly. " Repetition and all that."

" Quatre?" Duo looked at the blonde pilot who was fighting to keep from laughing at the poleaxed expression on his friends face. 

Lady Une shook her head. " Very well – dismissed, all of you."

Duo erupted out of his chair with a loud cheer, the others following suit. Sally muttered something about leaving a test tube on the Bunsen burner and left, Noin and Zechs tailing along behind her.  Relena had bid them goodbye and the link between her and Sanq was severed. Lady Une nodded at all of them and headed off to do her own work for the day. Hilde had a training class to help lead and set off as well.

All in all, the meeting cleared out in remarkably short order, leaving behind Heero, Duo, Sirius and three immensely curious Gundam pilots who, as if on cue, looked at each other, folded their arms, and stared at Heero and Duo expectantly.

Duo couldn't help but laugh. " Did you guys practise that glare or what?"

" We stole it from Heero," Quatre smiled. " Now what's going on? Heero, I've been sensing conflicting emotions from you all morning."

" And I am curious about your new…pet," Trowa added, watching the large animal eye them with an intelligent expression. Wufei had nothing to contribute that the others already hadn't, and merely nodded in agreement as the others spoke.

Heero glanced at Duo who shrugged, nodded and then hopped up on the conference table, relaxing back. He jerked his head at the others, silently telling Heero to get on with it.

It was exactly as though they had a choice after all. Heero knew this from the beginning, when he'd woken up that morning and discovered two sets of memories in his brain where there had once been one. His fellow pilots were extremely intelligent, and not even two minutes had passed in their presence that morning before they'd already become suspicious. Trying to hide a secret of this magnitude was nearly impossible.

Not that Heero really wanted to try though. Quatre, Wufei and Trowa were his partners, his friends. Friends weren't something he'd even contemplated having back when he'd first been chosen as a pilot for Wing Zero. Doctor J had been adamant about his interactions with people, demanding that his time spent with others be as minimal as possible, as much as was necessary for whatever his mission happened to be. Meeting Duo, Relena and the other pilots had swept years of training away, knocking down walls he'd thought to be rooted in a deep and solid foundation.

_And of course, some got closer then others,_ he thought idly, glancing at his partner and lover, sprawled out on the table. _Much closer_.

Duo gave him a wink, as though knowing exactly what he was thinking, and truthfully, Heero wouldn't have been surprised if he did. Still, this type of thinking was getting him rather side-tracked, and so he shook his head to clear it a bit, looking up at the three pilots who still stood there, waiting with varying degrees of patience.

" I have something to tell all of you," he began in a somewhat halting tone. " Something you may find difficult to believe and hard to accept." He chuckled wryly. ' In fact, I've had a hard time believing it myself."

Wufei cocked an eyebrow at him. " Just your actions and attitude tells me whatever it is, is rather significant." He grinned. " It was rare indeed to see you so…shall I say flustered?"

Duo cackled, his eyes bright with eager anticipation. Quatre poked Wufei, a light admonishment, and then met Heero's eyes.

" Go on Heero." 

The Perfect Soldier nodded and took a deep breath. " I've recently discovered some things about my past. Stuff I'd forgotten, that happened a lifetime ago," he said a bit weakly.  A lifetime ago seemed like such an inadequate timeframe. " Things you may find hard to accept."

" Harder to accept then finding out that you were dating the one person you threatened to kill more times then you did Relena?"  Wufei asked. " I like to think that after learning that particular aspect of your personal life, I can handle just about anything."

Duo straightened up on the table with a mild glare. " Oi!"

Heero sighed with frustration. " I guess there just isn't any easy way to say this." He looked down at the dog next to him. " And this is the quickest way to prove it." He faced them again. " I'm a wizard."

Quatre, Trowa and Wufei all blinked. 

" A real wizard. Wands, magic, potions, cauldrons – the whole nine-yards." He smiled faintly. " This scar on my forehead—" he pulled his forelock away so they could see. "—is a result of an altercation I had with a powerful wizard as a baby."

There was still silence from the stunned trio who wore expressions of disbelief.

" Wizards?" asked Trowa.

" Magic?" scoffed Wufei.

Quatre said nothing, but continued staring at Heero with narrowed eyes. His hand rubbed his chest a little harder, as though soothing a private pain.

" I can tell you don't believe me," Heero said quietly. " I don't blame you – I thought the same thing when my godfather told me all of this."

Wufei spluttered. " Godfather? What godfather?"

Taking advantage of the fact they seemed too stunned by Heero's words, Heero rushed on. He knew that they were stunned more by the belief that Heero was playing a trick on them, even if he wasn't. His words were simply too ludicrous to believe, and Gundam Pilot logic would naturally take them to the most likely conclusion – their legs were being pulled. And if that were true, then it was Heero Yuy, in an act from him that was unheard of, that was pulling their legs. Hence, the shock.

" I know you don't believe me. And rather then try to convince you with words, I'll give you proof instead." He gestured towards the dog at his side. " I'd like you to meet my godfather."

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Trowa's eyes narrowed as Heero introduced them to his 'godfather'. Something was up and he hadn't a clue what. It was unheard of for Heero to play a joke, let alone something this ridiculous. Still, his own sensitivity to animals was getting some rather strange readings from the bear-like creature at Heero's feet – the intelligence in its eyes and actions was so far from the norm for animals. Even intelligent ones. 

Then something flickered, and Trowa's one visible eye widened in complete shock.

The dog was growing larger, changing in shape. Black fur turned into what appeared to be dark-colored robes, paws turning into human hands and feet. Really, it was only a few seconds before a pale-faced man with long black hair was standing before them, but Trowa felt that he'd watched the transformation for hours, each detail engraving on his shocked brain.

He wondered if he was losing his mind.

Seconds later when he heard Wufei start cursing in shock, the Chinese boy's eyes just as wide as his own; he felt relief wash over him. He wasn't the only one hallucinating.

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Heero watched his fellow pilots intently. Duo was too, but his face had a look of maniacal glee on his face. Heero supposed a shock of this magnitude was the ultimate in surprises; something the longhaired boy enjoyed springing on his friends in the form of one practical joke or another. Duo _had_ to be loving this.

Trowa had a strange look of relief on his face, and Wufei was still spitting out something in Chinese, his eyes round with disbelief. But it was Quatre who held his attention.

The blonde boy was still absently rubbing his chest but his face was more amused then anything else. Heero knew of the Arabian's intelligence; he wasn't their tactical expert and field leader for nothing. From the very beginning when Quatre had shaken _paws_ with Sirius, something had set off Quatre's Space Heart alarm. He'd had an entire meeting to use his empathic abilities to determine what it was about Heero and Duo's furry friend that was setting him off. Heero had the feeling that seeing Sirius transform was merely a confirmation of what the blonde had already figured out for himself.

Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him. " You know, you don't seem very surprised," he smiled. He jerked his head at the still gaping Trowa and Wufei. 

" _That's_ the typical reaction I usually get."

Quatre smiled. " Oh I'm shocked all right. I was wondering why I was getting a human 'reading' from you all morning. I thought something was wrong with me."

" Reading?"

" Quatre's empathic," Heero informed his godfather. " He can sense things about people – whether they're lying to him, or if he's close enough to the person, whether they're hurt, sick, depressed, happy, afraid and so on."

" Ah." Sirius studied the boy thoughtfully. " Interesting."

" Yuy?"

Heero turned as Wufei croaked out his name. " Yes?"

" What the **_HELL_** was that just now?"

Heero smiled, suddenly feeling playful, an emotion he hadn't felt in years. _Since Harry_, he thought absently. " I already told you, Wufei. I'm a wizard. So is my godfather. This is my godfather, Sirius. Remember?"

Wufei nodded faintly. Quatre turned to look at Trowa, peering at his lover worriedly.

" Trowa?"

The stoic pilot glanced from Heero, to Sirius, to Heero, to Sirius again. Then he looked back at Quatre, his one green eye bright. " Cool."

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Even after asking that one question, it still took a while to get Wufei to speak English again. Apparently, extreme shock robbed him of his ability to speak several languages fluently. And even more apparently, seeing a dog transform into a man in front of him constituted a substantial shock. 

Duo was still grinning.

" Well, Heero," Quatre began with a wry look. " I guess further proof isn't really going to be required."

Trowa nodded in agreement. " Something that extreme was most convincing."

Wufei merely shook his head, still staring at Sirius who took a perverse pleasure in the role he had played, and kept waving at the Chinese boy.

" I mean, I believe it, but I still can't believe it," Quatre continued. " Though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, empathy really isn't that common among man – yet I possess it. Who am I to think that other such marvellous abilities don't exist?"

" Not to mention the bond that Trowa seems to form with every single animal he comes across," Duo added. " I betcha there's lots of magic still existing today that we simply just either don't see, or refuse to believe."

" A common habit with muggles," Sirius said shrugging.

It had taken a while, but Heero, with Sirius and Duo's help, had managed to relay his story to the shell-shocked pilots. His story had fascinated them as it had Duo, and even now, Quatre leaned forward, frowning a bit.

" So what happens now?"

Heero shrugged. " I don't know."

The blonde sat back, chewing his lip. " Well, your teachers and him—" he said, nodding at Sirius."—Obviously came for you to return you to their time. The problem is, do you really belong there? And even if you do, do you want to?"

Duo straightened a bit from the seat he'd taken next to Heero halfway through story time, and gripped his partner's hand tightly. 

" Where Heero goes, so does Shinigami," he declared. His tone was laughing but his eyes were very determined, something none of them missed.

" If you go back to this past time, are you in any danger from this Voldemort character?" Wufei asked. His mind finally back on track, he seemed preoccupied with the battles Heero and Sirius had described. " He sounds dangerous, and not one to be easily defeated."

" You call that easy?" Heero growled. Wufei held up his hands in a gesture of peace.

" You know what I mean Yuy."

" Never assume your enemy is down without proof," Heero nodded, easing off. Old training habits were hard to break. Despite Sirius and Dumbledore's proclamations, he knew better then to just agree blindly. After all, hadn't they all initially thought him dead too? He pointed this out to Sirius who frowned.

" That makes for some interesting ideas," he said slowly. " And not good ones either."

Heero turned to Duo who, other then his brief outburst, had had very little to say about the whole situation. " What do you think?"

Duo chewed the tip of his braid, a nervous habit he'd never been able to break. His eyes were dark and distant, a sure sign that he was mulling over the facts very carefully. And in atypical Duo fashion, he took his time, thinking everything through.

Finally he raised his to meet Heero's. "I think you should go."

Heero blinked in surprise. " What?"

" I think you should go." Duo shrugged. " You need to come to grips with all of this – relearn about your magic abilities, your past, your history." His eyes lightened. " And you need to settle this whole Voldemort thing once and for all. I know you Heero. I know how you act. It's like I said before – this will drive you crazy if you don't finish this up and give yourself some kind of closure. And that will drive _me_ crazy. Guaranteed." He grinned. " Besides – you've got family now." He pointed at Sirius. " You deserve the chance for a family as much as any of us. In some ways, more so."

Heero frowned. " I guess. But what about you?"

Duo looked surprised. " What about me?" He grinned again. " You don't think I'm letting you go off on this adventure by yourself, do you? I want to see this Hogwarts place for myself!"

Heero smiled at his partner in relief. Really, he should have known Duo wasn't trying to get rid of him. And he knew his partner was exactly right. Even if it was permanent, he had to go back. As it was, his memories were only partially complete, and he knew that they would probably only get more confusing with time. He needed to rediscover a part of himself he had never known existed. He frowned as he thought about the enormity he was about to undertake. A small ball of fear had coiled up in his stomach.

Once again, Duo displayed his own bit of empathy, reaching for Heero's tense hand and clasping it within his own, meeting his worried look with a concerned one of his own. 

" Ahem."

Heero and Duo started at the sudden noise and turned to see the other pilots and Sirius grinning at them. Quatre shook his head in amusement.

" And people say me and Trowa have a habit of zoning. You guys just tuned out the whole world, didn't you?"

" Nah," Duo shook his head. " I was wrapped up in my whole world."

Wufei made a mock gagging sound, stopping when Heero glared at him.

" So you've decided to come back with us," Sirius said quietly. His face was black, but his eyes gave away the relief he felt at their decision. " You and Duo."

Heero nodded.

Quatre, Wufei and Trowa exchanged long looks. Then Quatre nodded briefly and stepped forward, drawing all attention on him again. Heero frowned.

" Quatre?"

" Do you have room for three more?"

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End chapter 10 

**Feedback please?**

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No I have NOT skimped out on the story of Hogwarts destruction. I plan on doing some kind of side-story or maybe an interlude that tells exactly what Dumbledore saw when he attuned himself to the remains of the school. However, that would have drawn out this chapter when I really want to get the main plot of this fic up and running. Please bear with me while I get this story established.

This part was kind of, not rushed, but not as well done as it could have been. Truth is, I rewrote several parts of it and still found it to be awkward – I don't think I wrote the reactions of Trowa, Wufei and Quatre realistically at all. Still, I tried my best, and I'm moving on. ^^ Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.

Feedback greatly appreciated! And again, please check out my homepage for illustrations for Parallel!

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	12. Tours for the Magically Inclined

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  Well, the GW boys look like they're going back with Dumbledore and company – and who knows what awaits them?

This chapter is dedicated to Kaeera, who not only reviewed my fics, my web page AND emailed me personally, but also told me that Parallel inspired her to become a 1x2 fan! ^^ I'm always happy to corrupt the masses – and I'm glad you're enjoying this fic so much! Also, thank you Shinigami, Autumn and Cherry Stain (BTW – when's the next chappie of **your** GW/HP fic coming out?) for reviewing each time I post. Your comments are always helpful, appreciated and insightful. 

As always, check out my home page for pics and even more fics (though if you want to read my GW fics, I suggest you check out Gundam Wing Addiction: www.gwaddiction.com under "Stormy" – I don't keep even half of my GW fics on my homepage. ^^). 

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Chapter 11 (17-Sep-02) 

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Doctor Ryan Samson was a good man. He had always been told that, always had been considered a kind, patient man. He was well liked by his co-workers, and he thoroughly enjoyed his job. He fully envisioned himself twenty years in the future, still working for the Preventers, fending off retirement to work in the labs he loved so much.

That was why it wouldn't do to have a murder on his permanent record.

Grant chuckled with amusement as the red haired boy he'd been assigned to show around, dropped yet another test tube with a yelp as blue flames shot out of the Bunsen burner next to him.

" Lieutenant Grant!" Doctor Sampson in his long white lab coat loomed over the young man like an avenging angel. His hair was frizzled from when the sprinkler system had turned on during Ron's earlier experimentations with the flamethrower prototypes, and his eyes were wild. Quite a change from the normally quiet and studious young scientist he knew. 

Grant grinned warily. " Yes?"

" I insist that you remove these…these _children_ from my laboratory before they completely destroy it!" Sampson's chest was heaving as he pointed a shaking finger back in the direction of Ron and Hermione. Grant followed with his eyes.

To be fair, it was really only Ron who was causing the damage, his natural enthusiasm coupled with his complete naivety wreaking havoc in the carefully controlled room. Hermione was paging through the manual she had asked for, sitting at the computer and scrolling through documents filled with lines and strings of text that Grant knew had to be at least three university degrees above his head. " Well, I would Ryan, but Special Agent Yuy gave them permission to check out whatever they like."

" I don't care _WHO_ gave _WHAT_ permission!" Doctor Sampson's breath snorted in and out of his nose, his fists clenching spasmodically. His glasses slipped to one side of his face. " They are ruining countless experiments – and that girl! She's viewing top secret material—"

" Agent Yuy said if you have any complaints, then you're to take it up with him personally," Grant said calmly, carefully hiding his smile. " Ron and Hermione are close, personal friends of him and the other pilots though, so I suggest you select a different tone of voice when you speak to him."

The scientist stopped cold in his tracks, turning his flushed face to the two teenagers happily ignoring them, and then looked back at Grant. " A-Agent Yuy? _Heero_ Yuy?"

" And Duo Maxwell," Grant supplied helpfully. He pointed at the intercom. " I believe you were about to call them?"

 Doctor Sampson's jaw worked silently, his mouth opening and shutting like a gaping fish. " I…"

Grant chuckled again and punched the man lightly on the shoulder. " Ah relax, Doc! They haven't really done much damage, nothing that can't be easily fixed or replaced. I know as well as you do all the real rough stuff is locked up, and the super secret info on the computer is behind one of Agent Yuy's personal firewalls. So relax and I'll get 'em out of your hair, okay?"

Sampson's eyes were still dazed but he managed to move his head up and down. Grant nodded. " Good man."

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Ron plopped himself down into the chair next to Hermione's, wrinkling his nose up at the bluish-white light from the monitor. " I think I'm in trouble."

" Really," Hermione murmured automatically, totally immersed in what she was reading. 

" Yeah. That guy in the white robe is getting mad, but I don't know what Grant's saying to him."

" Lab coat."

" What?"

" It's not a robe, it's a lab coat." With no little amount of effort, Hermione dragged her eyes off the screen and glanced at Ron. " And Harry won't let anything happen to us."

" Maybe…. and it's _Heero_, not Harry," Ron said, slouching back in his seat. He waved at the computer. " Whatcha reading?"

" Mmmm…. I found some history files about the Preventers," Hermione said, turning her attention off the irate scientist behind them and focusing back at the screen. " How this place came to be built, its purpose – and look! I even found bio files on the Preventor agents." She wrinkled her nose. " Well, the public ones anyway. Harry – Heero, "she amended. "—isn't here and neither is Duo or any of the others they introduced to us." She sat back. " I guess that's for security measures."

" What's it say?"

" Well, the main goal of the Preventers is to stop major security issues before they start. Things like war and terrorist acts. I suspect the Preventers is not unlike the FBI or the CIA of our time," she concluded thoughtfully. " An intelligence network sniffing out world social problems and finding the solution before most of the public is even aware there's a problem to begin with."

" Like the _Unspeakables_ in the Ministry?" Ron asked, fascinated. 

" Maybe."

" You seem to understand well enough," came a dry voice. 

Ron and Hermione both jumped as Grant leaned over the computer terminal, resting his arm on the top of the monitor. " Having fun?"

" Actually, there's not a lot of information here," Hermione informed him. " I want to know more about the Preventers – what someone like Heero does here, how he got involved." She held up the manual Grant had given her. " This covers a lot of general information – but not specific."

Grant smiled. " Well, you won't find that kind of information on the comp. Special Agent Yuy and the rest of the Gundam pilots' personal records are so tightly sealed it would take Heero Yuy himself to unlock it. But," he added quickly as he watched Hermione's face begin to fall. " I know a bit of the history of this place myself. I could try and answer your questions."

" Great!" Ron crowed. He noticed the strange look Hermione was giving him. " What? I want to know too!"

" Well, how about we head downstairs to the cafeteria for some lunch while we're at it?" Grant ushered the two of them away from the computer and began herding them towards the door. " You can conduct a thorough interview over some of the best hamburgers this side of L4…"

" We're being banished?" Ron asked knowingly, his cheeks red. Grant chuckled.

" Don't worry about it kid! We'll just leave the doctor alone so he can get back to work. I'm starving too! How about you?"

Ron nodded and eagerly scampered through the door, tugging at Hermione's hand.

Grant waved cheerily at Doctor Sampson and the mess they left as the door slid shut behind him. 

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" So Colonel Une is in charge. And she used to work at Treize's right hand. And he was the one who ran the whole war that created the need for Gundams in the first place?"

Grant nodded. Hermione scowled blackly and tore off another chunk of her hamburger. While Grant's reviews of the cafeteria food had been spot on, the taste was somewhat soured in her mouth as she learned what kind of life Harry had been reborn into.

" And everyone trusts her?"

" People can change," Grant said seriously, setting his own burger back down on the plate. " Lady Une is devoted to peace, and Relena Peacecraft, the world Vice Foreign Minister has given her, her complete trust."

" But Lady Une was responsible for her father's death!" Ron objected. 

" Lady Une was acting under orders at that time," Grant repeated. " And all laws broken during wartime were granted a full pardon by the Sank government. Relena is a very mature young woman, and realized that she cannot blame Lady Une for following the orders of her superiors during war." He smiled ruefully. " If that were the case, if a slate could never be wiped clean, then there would be a good deal of vacant positions in the Preventers. Lieutenant Miliardo Peacecraft used to be known as the Lightning Count Zechs Marquis, fighting under Treize's banner. Same with Lieutenant Noin. They are now completely loyal to the Preventers. Even Quatre Winner, the blonde boy you met earlier?" Grant shook his head sadly. " Quatre destroyed a whole colony. Granted, he was under the effects of a nasty little program called the Zero System, and he was distraught over his father's death at the hands of the colony he had sworn to protect – but he too was absolved. Wufei Chang originally chose to fight alongside Mariemaia when she kidnapped Relena Peacecraft and fought Heero in space before coming to his senses."

" How do you forgive all the betrayals?" Hermione asked softly. " I don't understand."

" You have never lived through a war," Grant told her and Ron both, looking sternly at them. " During war, one does what one must to survive. The Gundam pilots are lauded as heroes for helping to stop the war, but during battle, they were responsible for the deaths and decimation of countless Oz troops. Are they held responsible for their actions now? In their dreams maybe, and on their conscience, but officially, they've all been pardoned. As were the Oz and Romafeller troops themselves that turned themselves over to Sank's peaceful rule."

Hermione was silent as she took that all in. Ron however, looked up at Grant again. " So you all protect the peace. How?"

Grant waved his hand at the huge structure. " By using the funding granted to us by Sank and the Winner Corporation, Lady Une built the Preventers to do exactly as you said earlier Hermione – sniff out trouble and stop it before it starts."

Ron grinned, looking thoroughly impressed. 

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Grant was supervising Ron as he gleefully made his way through the obstacle course in the training gym, Hermione watching at his side, when she asked something that had been bothering her all day.

" What is Har-Heero like?"

" Hmm?" Grant took his eyes off Ron's progress across the slender rope bridge. The redhead was tied to a safety harness just in case. Grant didn't relish the idea of telling Agent Yuy one of his best friends had been injured on his watch. " What do you mean?"

" I've seen the way he acts with everyone – he's so different from what I remember. More cold, more ruthless – but very efficient," she grudgingly admitted. "Still, everyone either seems to be afraid of him, in awe of him or a combination of both. Why?"

Grant laughed. " Heero is a very special young man."

" I'm aware of that," she said sadly. 

" Heero was one of the main reasons Dekim Barton was stopped during the Mariemaia uprising last year." Grant's voice sobered. " At great risk to himself and his Gundam, he fired a very powerful weapon at the shielded structure Relena was being held captive in. His actions allowed our forces to move in and secure the facility. The war and its aftershocks ended with that final confrontation. "

" I can understand the respect then," Hermione allowed. " But the fear?"

" To pilot a Gundam takes great strength and ability. Each of the Gundam pilots received specialized training that enabled them to fly their Gundams. They are only in their teens, but mentally, they're ancient." The young man shook his head. " I don't even want to know what kind of training they went through. They flew through the tests we conduct here as though they were nothing. I've seen reports from the war – how they were captured, each pilot subjected to some form of torture at one point or another. Yet they never gave in, never gave up. They always escaped, always came up with a plan. Only five pilots and they had an entire army on the run."

Ron had finished the course and had sidled up to the two of them, listening intently.

" Each of them had their own unique abilities to add to their group. Trowa, pilot 03 of Heavyarms, was like adept at blending into whatever situation he found himself in. He penetrated Oz as a recruit and then later on became a member of White Fang. He was utterly fearless and would do whatever was required of him."

" Quatre, pilot 04 of Sandrock had the ability to sense people. Where they were, what they were doing. No one outside of the Gundam pilots themselves knows the full extent of his capabilities, but I would hazard a guess and say he could do anything short of reading actual minds. He's also extremely wealthy, and used both his finances and his strategizing ability to help them out."

" Wufei, pilot 05 of Shenlong, fought for justice. He is a master at several forms and schools of martial arts, and is an accomplished swordsman as well." Grant grinned at Hermione. " He's also a dedicated scholar when he's not helping the Preventers – as Agent Maxwell would say, he's a real bookworm. He comes across as a cold and gruff individual but there is nothing he wouldn't do for his fellow pilots."

" Then you have Duo, pilot 02 of Deathscythe Hell. Duo is a stealth artist and a master thief. His abilities, hones from spending years on the streets of l2 make him a natural at sneaking past whatever guards and security you throw at him. He's also a top-notch demolitions expert. He's a friendly guy with a sucker-soft spot for kids, but when he's in the heat of battle, he's death incarnate."

" And then you have Heero, pilot 01 of Wing Zero. Nicknamed the Perfect Soldier, Heero is known for doing whatever it takes to succeed in his mission. He's a brilliant strategist, almost on par with Quatre, and has nearly perfect aim with any weapon you hand him. He's a demolitions expert like Duo, as good at hand-to-hand combat as Wufei, and the training he received made him a lot stronger then his fellow pilots, able to bend steel bars and survive deadly crashes."

Grant finished his monologue and sat back, watching Hermione and Ron for their reaction. Ron looked suitably impressed, but Hermione still had a calculating look on her face.

" Quite the team," she said finally, softly. " It makes me wonder how much of Heero is left from the boy we knew?"

Grant looked puzzled but she waved her words aside. 

" I'm just thinking out loud." She glanced at Ron. " What do you think?"

" I think Harry found a new team to help him when we weren't available," he said confidently. "Even though he had no memory of us. Otherwise why would someone raised to work independently, work within a group setting?"

Hermione stared at him. " That was remarkably insightful of you Ron."

" I've been hanging around you too long."

" But it makes sense," she continued. " No matter what the circumstances were regarding his upbringing. Harry – Heero – has always needed people, even if he wouldn't admit it."

" They make a great team," Grant nodded. He still didn't understand exactly what they were talking about, but this was something he could agree with whole-heartedly. " Quatre has always been considered the brain, Trowa stabilizer, Wufei the conscience, Duo the heart and Heero the soul of the Gundam pilots."

Hermione and Ron exchanged quick looks before nodding firmly. It just made sense.

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They were strolling along the floors that housed the accounting and filing departments when the beeper at Grant's waist went off. Unclipping it, Grant held it up and peered at the message scrolling across the small screen.

" Looks like the meeting's over," he told his two charges who were watching him curiously. " Heero asked me to bring you up whenever we were ready."

Ron shrugged. " I'm ready now," he said. Hermione nodded.

" Me too." She gave Grant a big smile. " This has been fun and very informative, but we need to hear what's going to happen now."

" You've got me mighty curious about what's going on," Grant commented as they waited for the elevator. " I don't suppose you could give me a hint? Or at least tell me why you keep referring to Heero as Harry?"

" It's not really our place to tell," Hermione said quietly. " Let's just say we knew Heero a long time ago."

" Another lifetime ago," Ron muttered. Hermione jabbed him in the ribs making him yelp. Grant watched them, shaking his head.

They rode the elevator up in relative silence. Ron jumped at the chance to play with the buttons again, and this time Hermione managed to catch his fingers before he pressed _all_ of the different floors, making an interesting ride for whomsoever would ride that car next. They stepped off, back in the main room they had first been introduced to the others in. The five pilots were sitting in a semi-circle around the large, window-paned hallway, waiting for them.

Ron wrinkled his nose. " What's up mates?"

Heero looked over at the two of them, smiling faintly, making Hermione smile in return at the friendly greeting. Duo was by his side, as always, and directly across from them was—

" Sirius?" Ron blurted out in astonishment. 

Sirius waved at the two of them. " Heero blabbed my secret," he complained, his eyes sparkling. " Now I can't sneak around, pretending to be an ordinary dog, and learn all their dirty little secrets."

" Uh-huh," Hermione said dryly. " You all look like you're waiting to spring something on us. What's going on?"

" We're going to have some company when you take us back to your timeline," Heero said, motioning towards the trio facing Ron and Hermione. " Quatre, Trowa and Wufei have decided to accompany us."

" Really?" Ron grinned. " Awesome. You guys will make life a little more interesting, I'd wager."

" But what about your responsibilities here?" Hermione asked prudently. " Surely they'd notice if five of their top agents turned up missing."

Heero shrugged. " Not really. All of us have vacation time we've never used. Quatre took care of that just before you arrived. Aside from Quatre's business, which he left in the hands of his sisters so he could join the Preventers, none of us have any real ties here. If we decide to go away, everyone who knows us, knows not to look for us."

" They'd never find us anyway," Duo snorted. He winked at Ron. " How'd you like the training course?" 

" Lots of fun," Ron replied, his eyes shining. " I think I definitely want to train to be an Auror now."

Sirius clapped his hands once, gathering their attention. " Well, if we're all agreed, I suggest we head back to the hotel and inform Dumbledore of what's going on." He chuckled. " I wonder what Snape'll say?"

" If its anything bad about Heero, he'd better keep his mouth shut," Duo growled. He did _not_ like that sour-faced man who made the snide remarks. " Or I'll shut it for him."

Ron was beaming at those muttered words, while Hermione had worked up a really nice admonishing look. Sirius chuckled again. " Shall we go?"

" Are we gonna 'apperport' again?" Duo asked eagerly. 

" _Apparate,_ Duo, and yes we are." Sirius pulled out his wand and stood up. Everyone followed suit. " Make sure you're touching someone."

Trowa and Quatre clasped hands with matching smiles and then Quatre latched on to Duo's braid. Duo had one arm wrapped around Heero who gripped Sirius's forearm. On the other side, Wufei put his hand on Ron's shoulder while the redhead held Hermione's hand, blushing fiercely. Hermione grinned at Ron before grabbing a fistful of Sirius's robes.

" All set?" Sirius asked. " Then let's go!"

They vanished from the meeting room, Duo's voice ringing out as they did.

" I have GOT to learn how to do this!"

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Up in the security room, a small square section of the building filled top to bottom with TV screens showing every room in the Preventor building, Ol' Pete shot to his feet as he saw a group of people vanish from the top floor of the HQ. He took off his glasses, cleaned them and then put them back on. No one was there.

" I've been working to hard," he mumbled, settling back in his chair. " I'm starting to see things."

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End Chapter 11 

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Well, they're on the move! ^^ See? Slowly but surely I'm getting to the point of this story. I hope you enjoyed this, and please review!

Feedback please?


	13. Magical 'Soup' To Go, Please

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  ^^ This has been some time in coming. ^^ Anyway, I've found while writing this chapter, there are many things I have to remember. The Hogwarts staff forgetting that the pilots aren't actually their students, with no more authority over them then any other adult in their world. Even Harry is somewhat beyond them, something they're going to have to come to terms with. And Duo….well let's just say, Duo is going to play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between Heero and Harry's worlds. 

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Chapter 12 (27 November 2002) 

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The group materialized back in the familiar comfort of the hotel, and remarkably, no one felt ill this time. The pilots automatically pulled back once their feet touched down, and Quatre looked up at Trowa, his face flushed with excitement.

" Would it be incredibly childish of me if I asked to do that again?"

Duo chuckled. " You'd have to get in line behind me, Q-ball." Still with his arms wrapped around Heero, he pulled back enough to look up at him. " Now you have to teach us BOTH how to do that, okay?"

Heero chuckled and nodded. Sirius grinned. " Hate to break it to you – you're too young to apparate."

" Rules have never bothered me," Duo said, waving his hand dismissively. 

Over in the corner, Snape coughed, catching the attention of the group. Dumbledore stood behind them, smiling. " I take it today was a learning experience?"

" You bet!" Hermione and Ron chimed. Quatre blinked at the elderly man with the beard nearly down to the ground and raised an eyebrow.

" I would say so," he smiled. " Hello sir. My name is Quatre Winner."

" What – no Rebarba?" Duo gasped in mock disbelief. Heero tugged his braid in silent admonishment.

Dumbledore gazed at the newest arrivals, studying them carefully. The aura's surrounding the ones accompanying Heero and Duo were as bright as any he had ever seen. The darkness tingeing the edges was not from evil – but more from a life filled with trials and hardships. These were not children, much as Harry, Ron and Hermione had not been children - these were warriors. He bowed at the group. " It is indeed a pleasure."

Wufei shifted uncomfortably at the site of an elderly man, obviously the leader of the group, bowing in such a show of respect. He returned the gesture, bowing deeply. " An honour, sir."

Heero smiled. " Professors, I'd like you to meet Wufei Chang, and Trowa Barton. You've just met Quatre." He winked at the blonde who grinned back at him.

" Why, you're all so young," McGonagall said in astonishment, moving forward to scrutinize them. Her hand fluttered as though she wanted to reach out and verify their age, but she caught herself and shook her head. " Children, all of you!" Although she tried to hide it, everyone heard the disapproving tone in her voice.

Quatre gave her a sad-looking smile, automatically playing the diplomat and preventing Wufei from saying something he'd be sure to regret later." Young, yes," he said nodding his head. " But I wouldn't say we were children, Miss McGonagall."

Minerva studied the man-child in front of her, and then took in the stoic faces of his companions. Turning her head, she saw Sirius nodding his head reluctantly, confirming his belief in Quatre's softly spoken words. " Professor will do, Mr. Winner."

Quatre inclined his head. " Very well, Professor."

Duo leaned over and poked Heero in the arm. " How does he do that?" He complained.

Without missing a beat or changing his expression, Quatre flicked an amused glance at the American. " Talent."

Heero grinned. Hermione stepped away from his side, Ron unconsciously mirroring her movements. She looked back from Heero to Dumbledore who was still smiling at them all. " Sir? What's going to happen now?"

" I believe our esteemed Professor Snape is best able to answer that particular question," the Headmaster replied. 

Severus shrugged from where he was dipping a small object into the steaming caldron. _Time Turner,_ Heero thought, digging the memory up. He glanced at Hermione briefly and the memory seemed to solidify. 

" We shall be able to perform the spell in about five minutes," Snape said shortly. " The spell will be good for about an hour. Then I'll have to do this over again. " He narrowed his eyes at the group. " So get ready_ now_ or be left behind."

Sirius growled at the Potions Master but Remus laid a calming hand on his shoulder, drawing him away. Heero steered Duo over to the couch he'd lain on previously and sat down, letting Duo curl up next to him. Following their lead, Trowa and Quatre stole the other end, leaving Wufei to sit cross-legged on the floor between them, his sheathed sword resting across his knees. 

Hermione and Ron stood next to Sirius and Remus, with the rest of the professors gathering around Severus to assist him in the final preparations. Despite the earlier harmony, Heero noted the split between the two groups and sighed, feeling a headache coming on. 

No matter what happened, there would forever be a change. Both in his relationship with the other Gundam pilots, but also with the people he knew from before. Even Duo would feel the effects of this. Heero had a fleeting thought that maybe Duo would end up pushing away from him – after all, Harry and Heero were two different people entirely when it came to personalities. Duo was supportive now, but what if his Harry-ish tendencies drove the American away?

Duo must have felt his muscles tense again, for he looked up, nuzzling his head against Heero's shoulder. " Penny for your thoughts?" he asked quietly. Trowa and Quatre were still watching the congregated professors, but their eyes darted in their direction. Like Heero had mentioned before, it was useless trying to keep something secret in their group.

" Just wondering how much of me is Heero and how much is Harry," Heero said, just as quietly. His fingers trailed through the loose bangs fringing Duo's face. " Wondering if the changes found in me because of this will drive the people from my past _and_ my present away."

Duo glared at him. " If I didn't know this whole thing was such a shock to you, I'd beat you over the head with the staff of Deathscythe's thermal scythe for thinking I'd let you get away from me." His volume was low, but the finger he jabbed in Heero's chest was downright vicious. " You listen to me Heero Yuy. You are_ stuck _with me for the long haul. Do. You. Understand?"

Each word was punctuated by a poke, each one harder then the last. As the American finished his quiet tirade, Heero caught up the rogue finger and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

" I understand," he said softly, thanking his partner without words, knowing Duo understood. Duo glared at him one last time before the gentle assault on his hand softened his eyes and he nodded firmly, nestling back into Heero's chest.

Looking up, Heero met Quatre and Trowa's amused looks and shrugged. 

" I'm not going to get used to that," came a mutter from across the room. "OW!"

Heero blinked at the swat Hermione gave the redhead across the back of the head. " Get used to what?"

Ron gestured to the two of them curled up. " That."

Heero looked down at Duo and felt a chill in his spine. Duo had stiffened again, and Heero quickly gripped the braid trailing down Duo's back, petting it soothingly, warning the American silently to stay where he was. " _That?_" He raised his eyes to stare Ron head on. He noted Sirius had thrown the redhead an angry look and was gratified by it. " Define _that_."

" Yes, please do," Duo said frostily, his eyes drilling into Ron's fiercely. 

Ron stared at them nervously. " What did I say?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation. " Ron, think about it. You sound as though Harry—ah, Heero and Duo's relationship is wrong."

Ron blinked. " I do?"

Heero nodded curtly. " You do."

Ron sighed. " That's not what I meant. I mean, sure the two of you together seems, I don't know – strange, to put it mildly. But I meant you two together at ALL seems impossible. Harry wasn't interested in anyone really – and before this whole incident happened, he was shyer then Neville around girls." He folded his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. " I just meant that I don't think I'm gonna get used to this new side of Harry anytime soon."

Heero nodded slowly. Ron had a point. Still…"So you don't have a problem with me and Duo?"

There was dead silence for a second.

" If you had asked me a year or two ago what I thought about two guys together," Ron began slowly, staring at them levelly. " I would have said it was unnatural. I've always just automatically assigned girls to boys and vice versa."

" And now?"

Ron shrugged. " I can't say this is what I pictured," he said. " I remember you used to dream about Cho Chang, and then there was Parvati that you took to the Ball. Or Ginny, my sister who had the hugest crush on you for ages." He grinned slightly. " Still, there's just something about the two of you that seems so _right._ I can't change fifteen years of thinking in one day, but what I'm trying to get at is that I'll try. " His voice changed, suddenly sounding younger and more anxious. " Are you mad at me?"

Heero shook his head, and knew without looking that Duo probably had one of his standard grins on. " No. To be honest, when I think about it, you're right. I didn't consider a long-term relationship with anyone from my past, but I don't remember looking at guys either. In fact, even in this timeline, I didn't want _friends_, let alone a steady girlfriend or boyfriend. In the end, I fell in love with Duo – not a boy, not a girl – just Duo."

Ron nodded and Hermione smiled. " That's beautiful, " she said, sniffling once. Ron rolled his eyes.

Heero relaxed a bit more and then suddenly noticed Duo staring at him in complete shock. Looking down, Wufei had craned his neck at an almost impossible angle and had a similar look of astonishment on his face. Ditto Trowa and Quatre.

" What?"

" I think that might have been more 'Harry' than 'Heero'," Quatre remarked, his voice trembling with suppressed laughter. 

Duo stared. " You've never said that out loud in public before," he stated calmly, his eyes wide. " Never. I know – I've tried to get you to, lots of times."

Heero chuckle and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Duo's. " Then it was about time I did."

" Awwww!" Sirius pretended to swoon into Remus who laughed and caught the dramatic Marauder. Hermione sniffled again. Ron sighed with exasperation.

" I am _never_ gonna get used to this!"

A cough broke through the groups laughter, and they looked over to see Dumbledore and the other teachers watching them. McGonagall hid a misty-eyed expression behind her glasses and gestured them to come forward.

" We're ready to go, ladies and gentlemen."

" Ladies?" Ron looked around in confusion. Hermione punched his arm and strode over to the other teachers. " Hey! What'd I say?"

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It wasn't as clean as apparating. Heero's memory produced the time that he and Hermione had used her Time Turner to save Sirius, and he remembered the twisting images that fled across his field of vision as they had travelled back further and further. Nope, it wasn't like that either.

The 'magic soup' Duo dubbed Snape's potion that Severus had dipped the Time Turner into, had also been spread across a large, lit circle that Dumbledore had woven on the floor with a flip of his wand. Wufei watched the proceedings with interest.

" How does this work again?" he asked. " We travel back in time?"

" Not exactly," Dumbledore replied absently, watching the magical energies carefully. " We can't precisely go back in time – just as no one can really travel to the future."

" Huh?" Hermione stared at the Headmaster. " I thought this whole thing was about Harry being sent to the future!"

" And that whole bit about that Japanese time travel plant," Ron added.

" And I meant what I said," Dumbledore said, smiling. " However, there's one more thing you have to know."

" I knew there was a catch," Duo said with a smirk. " There's always a catch, a hidden cost. Just ask any telemarketer."

Dumbledore laughed. " Very wise of you Mr. Maxwell. Actually, we did travel to the future – which became an alternate future." He looked at everyone. " In life there are no guarantees. Travelling to the future and learning its secrets cannot ensure that a similar fate – or something else – cannot happen. It just means what happens in your own timeline will be impacted by what you have learned. The future where you received that information remains the same."

Remus looked intrigue. " You're referring to alternate dimensions, aren't you sir?"

Dumbledore nodded, smiling, pleased that his student had figured it out. " Precisely, Remus."

" But what about when we saved Buckbeak and Sirius?" Hermione asked, confused. Heero narrowed his eyes as he tried to unravel the strange thoughts Dumbledore's words created.

" Time Turners can affect mere hours and keep you within the correct timeline. It uses an enormous amount of energy to do so, which is why Time Turners can be so dangerous. The _Kikan Utsuso_ plant can send you further then the Time Turners, but it doesn't keep you in the same timeline – to do so would take an impossible amount of energy to keep the timelines straight. When we travelled to the future, we travelled to one version of it that may – or may not – become _ours_, as a result of the information we now know."

Sirius rubbed his temple. " All I understood was alternate dimensions."

Ron nodded. " Me too."

McGonagall chuckled. " It is rather confusing, isn't it?" She smiled. " I suppose the most heartening thing you can make of this whole adventure is that the destruction of Hogwarts is not guaranteed in our timeline. It's only one of many possibilities, something we've already known."

Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Heero gasped. " The destruction of Hogwarts?" Sirius asked in astonishment.

Belatedly, Remus remembered Sirius and the kids hadn't been at the ruins he and the others had found earlier. " Yeah. Hogwarts doesn't exist here anymore."

Sirius found his powers of speech temporarily gone. Heero had gone several shades paler then usual. Quatre looked confused.

" Hogwarts?"

" Our school," Hermione said quietly, feeling numb. She couldn't fathom the idea of Hogwarts just being gone. Dumbledore clapped his hands.

" As I said, this world is only a possibility. It is NOT a guarantee. And regarding worlds, it's time we returned to ours." He gestured to the circle that was still glowing. Snape stepped forward.

" Everyone gather in the circle." 

Moving to do so, Duo grimaced as the 'soup' clung to the bottom of his sneakers. " Yuck."

" I'm with you, mate," Ron said quietly, mirroring his disgusted expression. Snape threw them a dirty look, which Duo cheerfully and fearlessly returned while Ron pretended to look innocent.

Sirius and Remus hung back a bit, letting the others get settled first. Remus nudged the animagus, nodding at Duo with a small smile.

" That one's going to be hellfire, isn't he?"

Sirius chuckled. " I think all of them are. They aren't used to being bossed around. Too many people are afraid of them."

Remus looked sideways at him. " Afraid?"

" Moony, remind me to tell you what I saw at the Preventers, in greater detail."

" I'm going to hold you to that, Padfoot."

" Sirius! Remus!" Heero waved at them. " Your turn."

The two wizards headed over.

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It was like the goop around their feet suddenly grew, swirling up their legs and enveloping them, swallowing them all. Duo was reminded of a cheesy horror film he'd once seen at Howard's called "The Blob that ate Chicago" and decided apparating was much cooler.

He was extremely relieved when the darkness suddenly melted away and spat them out onto a soft carpet. The soupy substance peeled itself off his limbs and body, folding into itself over and over again before disappearing altogether. He felt the others start to move around him and decided it was safe to open his eyes.

" It's good to be home!" Dumbledore declared jovially. Snape and McGonagall stood up, dusting their clothes off. Snape had a particularly pleased look in his eyes, as he seemed to recognize where they were. Hermione and Ron stretched, bounding out of the circle to join their teachers in a large yet immensely cluttered room. Sirius and Remus looked okay too, pulling Heero to his feet and hugging the boy, obviously pleased to have him there. Well, wherever _there_ was.

Duo automatically checked out his fellow pilots, and found Quatre, Trowa and Wufei staring at the wall in shock. " What's up?

Quatre pointed at the wall wordlessly. Duo followed his finger to a large oil painting on the wall of an elderly man that looked like Dumbledore. The man in the paining was waving at them. He swallowed.

" I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," he quipped softly.

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**End chapter 12** – or 13 on FFNet. Blasted chaptering system not allowing prologues. ^^

Special thanks to Starving Author for the incredibly detailed letter she wrote me – even if the beginning was a little…blunt. ^^ I write as fast as my schedule allows, but I do appreciate the encouragement. Thanks to everyone who wrote asking for the next chapter – I will respond to the individual emails eventually (after wading through a huge backlog of emails). And thanks to everyone whose reviewed here at FFNet. ^^ This was done for everyone who nagged me. See what happens when you review? ^^

**Feedback please?**


	14. Settling In

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  *shakes head in exasperation*  Did I not mention that there would be spoilers in "Duo and the Sorting Hat" for upcoming chapters of Parallel? I could have sworn I wrote it in the notes, and in the summary. *goes to check* Yep, uh-huh – possible spoilers for _Parallel_. Plain as day. So if you didn't want spoilers – _YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE READ IT_. 

*looks tired* Honestly – if you can't be bothered to read the summary at the very least, then it's not my problem if it ruined a few things for you. And frankly, I don't give a flying fuck. Spoilers don't bother me in the slightest and I refuse to withhold fics simply because a few people can't be bothered to read the warnings. Get over it. And actually open your eyes and _READ THE GODDAMN WARNINGS_ this time around.  The same thing goes for the pictures and illustrations I've done. Don't look if you're going to be offended. Lordy, you people would all hate Divination – you'd all protest on the ground that reading a crystal ball would spoil the bloody future. *snorts*

To everyone who enjoyed the side-fic, thank you for the reviews. Let me know if you'd like additional side-fics to illustrate or show in greater detail scenes that may or may not make the cut in _Parallel_. Sorry to take my frustration out on you guys – the ones who DON'T deserve it, but I was getting fed up. My apologies.

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Chapter 13 (30 November 2002) 

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"It's good to be home again!"

Heero heard Dumbledore's words as though they were coming from a distance, and under about six feet of water. As the gloopy substance disappeared, he took in the familiar-not familiar sight of Dumbledore's spacious office. 

He heard Duo say something about Kansas and Toto and fought back a snicker. Sirius, seeing the dazed expression on his godson's face, reached out a hand and pulled him to his feet.

" All right there Heero?" he asked quietly, looking the boy up and down. Heero blinked, feeling his memories realign – again – and met his worried eyes.

" I'm fine."

Sirius snorted. " Sure you are," he said resignedly. " But who am I to argue?" He smiled wearily, resting a hand on Heero's shoulder for a brief moment, squeezing it gently. " I'm just glad to have you home."

Home. Heero savoured the taste of that word. With Duo he had made a comfortable place for himself, a job that he found interesting, and a place that offered all the comforts of home. But as he stood there in that eclectically decorated room, he realized that there was no other real home for him in the universe. He offered a small smile at his godfather, his Heero-mentality still adjusting to being so free with his emotions. " Me too."

" Heero, there is a very big, very red and very much on-fire bird staring at me."

Heero blinked and turned around. Duo was hiding behind Wufei and peering over the Chinese boy's shoulder at a very familiar creature.

" Fawkes!" he exclaimed.

The phoenix trilled happily and flew across the room, pulling up short in front of Heero who obligingly held out his arm for the bird to perch on. He vaguely remembered Fawkes seeming heavier in his memory. Then again, as Heero, he had a bit more muscle then he had as Harry. Fawkes crooned softly, nuzzling the side of his face. His tail feathers dripped little bits of flame that disappeared before they could hit the ground. Quatre stepped forwards, his eyes shining.

" Is that a phoenix?" he asked quietly, in awe. Heero nodded. Quatre clasped his hands. " Oh Allah, he's beautiful!"

" Indeed," came an even softer voice. Trowa came up behind Quatre and held out his hand to the firebird. Fawkes positively preened, basking in the attention much to the amusement of the others.

" Fawkes is fine form this evening," Dumbledore chuckled. " I dare say he had a Burning Day while we were gone."

McGonagall cleared her throat. " Headmaster, it is rather late and I'm sure the boys are tired. So many revelations in one day after all." She stifled a yawn of her own. " Perhaps we should continue this in the morning?"

" Excellent idea, Minerva." Dumbledore clapped his hands together. " This is rather a unique event indeed; this is the first time Hogwarts will have had summer students in a very long time."

" We're staying here?" Heero blurted out automatically. Snape shot the boy a glare.

" Where else?" He nodded at the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. " If you have no further need of me tonight, I will be in my quarters in the castle." He swept out of the room in a flurry of black robes. Duo stuck his tongue out. Ron grinned. 

" Are we staying too, Professor McGonagall?" he asked hopefully.

Minerva sighed resignedly. " It is rather late to send you home by Floo. It would be best if you all remained here for the evening."

Sirius frowned at Heero. " Where did you think you were going to stay?"

_The Dursely's_ was Heero's first automatic response, but his eyes widened as he glanced at Duo who was gingerly poking Fawke's tail feathers to see if the fire would burn him. It was better if Duo was not given too much information about the ones who had mistreated him for most of his first life. Shinigami would end up paying them a little visit, and Heero feared the consequences. The Dursely's well-deserved fate notwithstanding, he and the other pilots didn't have the immunity from public recourse here that they had enjoyed with the Preventers. If Duo did anything fatal to Vernon and his family, he might well end up in Azkaban himself. " The Burrow?"

" Maybe," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. " After all, there's still a few weeks left until the term starts, and I'm sure you don't want to stay here the entire time, with no one but Argus Filch here to entertain you."

" What about Snape?" Hermione questioned, her brow furrowed.

" None of the Professors stay at Hogwarts during the summer, child," McGonagall admonished the teen gently. " Goodness – we may love our jobs, but not enough to live here permanently."

Hermione smiled.

Remus yawned. " I'm starting to agree with Minerva," he smiled. " But I believe I'll Floo myself home." Walking over, he reached out to shake Heero's hand, gave up and pulled the teen into a hug. " It's wonderful to have you back Harry," he whispered, squeezing him.

Heero returned the hug albeit a bit timidly. " Thank you Moony."

Hermione shook her head. " Professor…"

Remus laughed. " It's all right Hermione. After all, I'm not your teacher anymore."

"Why not?" Wufei glanced at him, eyes narrowed slightly. Remus shrugged.

" I'm sure Heero will tell you all about it." He patted Sirius on the shoulder as he turned to leave. " I'll see you soon, Padfoot. Try and behave?"

Sirius looked astonished. " Me?"

" I guess it is too much to ask for." Remus gave the group one last wave and slipped out the door. Minerva looked over at Hermione and Ron.

" I trust the two of you – and Heero of course, can show the others to Gryffindor Tower? You may stay in the fifth year dormitory for now. The password is _Rosetta_." 

Hermione and Ron nodded. Heero gently tossed his arm, letting Fawkes fly back to his ornamental perch. Dumbledore held up a hand, stopping them before they could leave.

" I'll have the house elves prepare some refreshments for you all. I'm sure Dobby will be pleased to see you've returned unharmed, Heero."

Heero nodded. " Goodnight sir."

Hermione and Ron echoed his words and led the others down the stairs past the Gargoyle. Duo paused to glare at the stone creature suspiciously, and yelped when the Gargoyle snapped its teeth in his direction. Sirius laughed and transformed into Padfoot, sneaking past the braided boy and bounding down the hall.

Trowa waited for Quatre who smiled at the brown-haired youth before taking his hand. Wufei fell in behind, years of being watchful refusing to go away. One hand rested on his sword, a comforting gesture. The sword, one of the last few reminders of Treize Kushrenada, whom Wufei had come to admire and respect greatly before meeting his death at Wufei's hands. Lady Une had given the sword to Wufei one day, not long after she had been placed in charge of the Preventers. 

" _He respected you Wufei_," she had said quietly. "_I know of no one else who would care for it as he did. Treize-sama always said it was for protecting. Use it well_."

Wufei watched his friends, both old and new, walk in front of him, and knew that regardless of what the future held in store for them, he would be there. His eyes fell on Heero walking with Hermione and Ron, Duo dashing back and forth from one side of the corridor to the other, happily greeting each and every painting. He remembered the story they had been told, and wondered if his presence would even make a difference if it came down to it, if that Voldemort character was still alive. He gave a mental shrug and quickened his pace, pulling even with Quatre. The Arabian flashed him a brilliant smile, nearly as excited as Duo at the wondrous things they passed, and he smiled back.

It didn't matter. He would do whatever it took.

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Sirius watched the American pilot flirt with the Fat Lady and felt that he was watching a younger version of himself. He snuffled Heero's hand, unable to stray too far from his godson. It almost seemed like a miracle, like it was too good to be true. Harry was back. Well, sort of.

Giggling like a schoolgirl, the Fat Lady finally swung open and Sirius pushed through the hole in the wall, knocking Duo over.

" Watch it furball!" he complained, but the grin on his face gave him away. " Why don't you go chase a cat or something?"

" The only cat here would be Miss. Norris," Ron grinned. " Filch's cat."

" And she'd probably box his ears first," Hermione added, smiling. Sirius transformed and glowered at them.

" Beaten by Miss Norris? I don't think so." His stomach growled loudly and Heero chuckled.

" If that wasn't a hint, I don't know what was." Before he could say anything else though, a high-pitched squeal sounded from behind him. Duo leaped into an amused Trowa's arms in shock as a two-foot tall greenish brown _thing_ with bat-like ears, and wearing a ragged 'Surfing USA' t-shirt and mismatched socks materialized in front of them.

" They have gremlins at Hogwarts," Duo breathed, his eyes wide. " Cool." Trowa dropped him on the ground and he immediately flopped down, cross-legged, staring at the creature avidly.

" They're house elves, Duo. Hello Dobby," Hermione said pleasantly. " How are you enjoying your summer?"

" Dobby is having a very good summer," Dobby squeaked, his head bobbing up and down. " Dobby is having a better summer now that Harry Potter is back." His eyes widened even further, an act Heero would have thought impossible, and the little creature gestured behind him. " The great Dumbly said Harry Potter and friends are hungry!" Snapping his fingers, several more house elves appeared carrying plates of sandwiches and jugs of juice with accompanying goblets.

" Okay, gremlins bearing food." Duo pointed at Duo. " I want one of you to come live in Deathscythe."

Heero snorted and grabbed a sandwich, shoving at Duo before taking one for himself. " Ignore him Dobby."

Dobby nodded seriously. " Dobby is ignoring, sir. Dobby does not know where Deathscythe Manor is."

Ron grinned. " Something tells me it's not a house. Right?"

Duo nodded, stuffing half of the sandwich in his mouth. " It's a huge machine, a mobile suit. We all have one, but mine's the coolest by far."

" Excuse me?" Quatre shot him a mock-glare. " You wish."

" Sandrock had twin blades, but I had a thermal scythe." Duo sniffed. " And my suit worked underwater."

" We know, Duo," Trowa said dryly. " You never let us forget that."

" At least 'Scythe doesn't keep running out of ammo."

" I'm afraid you're wrong Maxwell," Wufei couldn't resist adding his own two cents. "My Nataku's Dragon Fang beats your scythe any day."

"Them's fighting words, Wuffers!" Duo grinned, his eyes glinting. Heero cleared his throat.

" As the only one of us with a mobile suit that had wings with both versions, I think it goes without saying that 'Wing was the best."

Duo and Wufei glared at him. Trowa raised an eye. " I think that's the first time you've ever bragged about 'Wing, Heero."

" More Harry-ness," Quatre laughed. Heero shrugged, finally eating part of his sandwich and passing the plate around. 

" Do you have any idea of what they're talking about?" Ron asked Hermione. She shook her head.

" What's a mobile suit?" she asked curiously. " When we were at the Preventers, I saw that name mentioned a couple of times but I couldn't find much information about it."

The five pilots fell silent; each casting looks at the other. Finally Heero looked back at Hermione with a blank expression.

" They're battle suits, " he said at last. " We used them to fight in the war."

Ron looked as though he wanted to ask something else, but a quick elbow in the gut from Hermione stopped him cold. Sirius looked at them all, remembering the pictures he'd seen in Heero and Duo's apartment. He didn't say anything either.

In an effort to change the mood of the room, Heero turned to look at Dobby. He cracked a small grin. " So Dobby – where'd you get _that_ shirt?"

Dobby smiled proudly, his small chest puffing with pride. " The great Dumbly gave to Dobby after he is coming back from vacation last year."

Ron laughed heartily. " That's the first we've seen of it."

Dobby nodded seriously. " Is present from the great Dumbly. Dobby is only wearing it on special days. Harry Potter is back. That is a special day."

A choke came from Sirius' direction and everyone turned to look at the ex-convict. Sirius finished coughing up the last of the pumpkin juice that had gotten caught in his throat at Dobby's words, and nodded.

" I couldn't agree more," he said hoarsely, and Heero was taken aback at the sheer emotion radiating off his godfather. 

The last few days caught up to him in a heartbeat, and he realized just how much he had been truly missed. A quick glance at his friends showed Ron manfully blinking back tears, and Hermione dabbing at her eyes, agreeing with Sirius and the little elf. It was only the fact that the Heero part of him was unwilling to slip any further out of character that his own tears didn't fall. Instead, he squeezed Duo's hand that had magically appeared in his own as the mood in the room changed once again. " I missed this," he said softly.

There was really nothing more to be said after that.

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Sirius had shooed them off to bed after everyone had finished eating. The plates and goblets disappeared, whisked off by the eager little elves despite Hermione's protests that they could help with the cleanup, and Sirius transfigured a few stones and loose threads from the tapestries into assorted toiletries for everyone to use in preparation for bed.

It was decided that Hermione wasn't going to be subjected to staying by herself in the girls dorm that night at least. Sirius declared that despite what Minerva and Remus might have said, he _was_ a competent chaperone, and so Hermione was given a bed of her own in the boys dorm. Trowa and Quatre automatically claimed one for themselves, and Wufei took the bed facing the door. Sirius changed back into Padfoot, stating he was still unused to staying in human form while sleeping even though there was little chance of someone unknown walking in on them. Until his name was cleared, he couldn't risk being vulnerable. Only Ron and Hermione put up a token protest at this; the Gundam pilots knew all too well the dangers of vulnerability, and Heero only nodded at his godfather's decision. 

As for Heero himself, he and Duo took the bed in the center, curling up against each other. Duo's arm snuggled its way across Heero's waist, and Heero rested his chin on the top of the American's head, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent that almost always guaranteed him a good night's sleep. He met his godfather's amused gaze from across the room, and smiled tiredly, sleep erasing the last of his stoic-ness.

" Good night, Sirius," he said quietly. The human-turned-dog chuffed a reply before settling down, and Heero followed his example, falling asleep almost instantly.

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**I wrote this in one sitting and now that I'm done this chapter, I feel much better. ^^ All my earlier anger is now gone. See? Writing is therapeutic. Therefore, it stands to reason that writing a review would be equally therapeutic. **

**So release your stress! Review and not only make my day, but yours too!**


	15. Tis a Brand New Day

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2 (more to be announced)

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (haven't decided yet ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  Another kind of dragging scene but I have to set the stage for the next chapter. So more plot filler and fluff. ^^ Don't worry, this all has a point to it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter despite my little temper tantrum. ^^ I'm happy now, so no more outbursts. *crosses heart*

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Chapter 14 (1 December 2002) 

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Amazingly enough, Sirius was the first to wake the next morning. Had Remus been there, he would have gaped in astonishment. Many was the time he and James had had to pry Sirius from his bed, using everything from conjured ice water to a giant-sized gong going off right off next to his head. And sometimes, that didn't even work.

Mornings were for sleeping, Sirius could recall telling the other Marauders numerous times. He sat up and shook his head, letting his tongue loll out as he yawned. They still are**.**

As long as he was awake, he figured it was safe enough for him to be human for a bit, and with a thought, he switched forms, stretching into human shape. Realistically, hew knew it was safe, but there were still some people that refused to believe him innocent, and it was hard to change the habits he'd cultivated after almost three years on the run. 

The dark short and pants he had put on at Heero and Duo's home were still on him, and he sniffed the arms warily. Yeah, it was starting to get ripe. He smirked, and glanced across the room.

Varying night noises could be heard. Snores from Ron, whispering, sighing breaths from Hermione, and the rustle of bedclothes, as Wufei seemed to be a chronic shifter, constantly in motion even as he slept. Trowa and Quatre were spooned together, the taller pilot wrapping one solid arm around the blonde as though anchoring him in place.

Sirius sat up and rested his arms on his knees. Harry – Heero, he reminded himself yet _again_ – lay flat on his back, dead to the world. Duo was draped across him; his limbs flung every which way, mouth open, snoring loud enough to rival Ron. Sirius's eyes were drawn to Heero's hand, which still kept a tight grip on the tail end of Duo's braid, a simple gesture that spoke volumes about the depth of their relationship and the need they had for each other. McGonagall was going to have her hands full, trying to keep those two apart.

Stretching his feet out to touch the floor, Sirius was determined to have the first crack at the shower. He thought he'd moved silently, but Heero's eyes snapped open and focused on him like twin laser beams. Sirius held up his hands in surrender and pointed at the hallway.

_Shower_, he mouthed, and Heero nodded, closing his eyes again. Not a single other muscle had moved. Sirius thought about that as he entered the Gryffindor shower room, remembering to close the door. Not a strictly modest individual, he nevertheless remembered Hermione's nearby presence and pulled the curtain across his stall for additional privacy.

From what he'd seen at the Preventers where Heero and the others had worked following the war he'd learned about, he knew that Heero his friends had been among their elite soldiers, and had been sent on many dangerous missions. Harry's invisibility cloak had come in handy, allowing him to slip through the halls and listen in on what the agents had considered private conversations.

Sirius was not a stranger to danger. Before the fall of Voldemort fifteen years ago, he'd had a promising career as an Auror. At the tender age of twenty, he'd been one of the Ministry's top agents, and more then one of his supervisors had mentioned he'd be a phenomenal Unspeakable agent.

Waking up so quickly and alertly without moving a muscle spoke of years of being put into or found in dangerous situations. There was so much he didn't know about his godson – the new version. There were many things he wanted to ask, starting with his meeting with Duo and wrapping up with his last mission where he'd been shot.

Sirius still couldn't keep his heart from skipping a beat when he thought of that. How many times had his godson's life been in danger since arriving in the future? If the pictures he'd found in Heero's apartment were any indication, then he probably was better off not knowing. He recalled Duo mentioning shooting him twice, and shook his head with a sigh. Harry hadn't lost his amazing ability to forgive.

And what of the wizarding world? Harry Potter was a household name – the very name spoke of in awe over his enormous achievements, even more so after Harry had seemingly defeated Voldemort six weeks ago, their time. The Ministry, currently serving under Dumbledore temporarily until a new Minister was appointed, had recognized the return and subsequent fall of the Dark Lord, and was still busy rounding up Death Eaters that had either escaped that fateful night, or had been elsewhere entirely. Sirius was finding it difficult to be enthusiastic about possibly returning to work as an Auror. It was hard to change fourteen years of belief overnight, and Sirius had spent so much time searching for his godson, he hadn't really stepped forward to try and help his new reputation along. Despite Peter Pettigrew's confession, the general public still lived in almost as much fear of his name as they did under Voldemort's. 

" Even though it wasn't my fault," he whispered, tilting his head back under the warm spray of the shower.

The showers were equipped with standardized soap, shampoo and conditioner and he scrubbed himself down thoroughly. Rinsing the last of the lather away, he turned off the water, wrapped his towel around his waist and stepped into the change room. Quatre and Trowa stood there patiently, wearing bathrobes with the Hogwarts crest on the lapel.

" The elves dropped by again?" he chuckled.

Quatre nodded. " They gathered everyone's clothes and took them for cleaning. They gave us the robes and promised the clothes would be finished when we were." He gestured to the shower room door. " We didn't want to interrupt you."

" I'm finished. You guys go ahead."

Quatre thanked him and moved ahead. Trowa gave Sirius a small nod of thanks and followed the blonde. Sirius shook his head again.

" His name should be 'Sirius'" he muttered. " All of them kids, but not one of them a child."

For some reason that depressed him. But the sight of his clothes lying neatly folded on the bench instead of on the floor where he'd thrown them before his shower made him grin. House elves really did work fast. With his smile back on his face, he hurried to get ready.

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Heero was awake and out of bed when he returned, and stood with Wufei to the side of the bed, whispering something to each other. He raised an eyebrow. "What's up guys?"

Heero looked at him with a faint smile. " Arguing over who gets to wake up Duo this time."

Wufei nodded. " The last time Duo woke me during a mission, it was _after_ braiding my hair with over a dozen pink bows and hair-spraying them into solid position. This is the first opportunity I will have had to get even with him." He glowered at Heero. " Yuy is intent on stopping me from exacting justice."

Sirius chuckled. " Fair's fair, Harry." 

Heero gave him an odd look, and he cursed silently as he belatedly registered the slip of the tongue. They were going to have to something about that. Then Heero shrugged and folded his arms.

" What did you plan on doing?"

Wufei smiled mysteriously. "Watch and learn." He leaned down towards the sleeping boy, and whispered into his ear. 

" Maxwell…"

"Mmmmmmmmm…*snert*…" Duo snorted but didn't wake up.

" Maxwell, did you forget your mission?"

" Mmmmissh'n…?"

Hermione and Ron had awakened and joined Sirius, watching the scene with interest.

" Your mission Maxwell. The one to blow up the base. The one that was supposed to start – TEN MINUTES AGO!"  

Wufei screamed the last few words into Duo's ear, which travelled at warp speed into Duo's brain. The American's eyes snapped open and he leaped out of bed, eyes wild.

" Detonator's set 05! Mission is a—wha?" Duo shook his head. " What the hell?"

Sirius hit the bed laughing, Ron and Hermione pounding the covers at the sight of the frazzled pilot. Duo's braid hung in straggles and his fingers twitched as though pressing imaginary buttons. Wufei chuckled and even Heero was grinning in amusement. Duo's wild eyes flicked from one hysterical observer to the next and fell on Wufei. His right eye twitched as he realized what had happened. " Wufei?"

" Yes Maxwell?"

" DIE!" With a howl, Duo snatched his pillow off the bed and flung himself at the Chinese pilot, striking him hard, landing them both on the bed Ron had vacated. Duo seemed determined to smother his friend and Wufei was laughing too hard to fight back effectively. Sirius wiped away the tears streaming from his eyes and looked over at Heero, still grinning. 

" Should we help him?"

Heero shook his head. Reaching over calmly, he snagged the flying rope of Duo's hair and tugged. With a yelp, Duo followed his hair, letting go of Wufei who used the distraction to make his escape, racing for the shower room. Instead of catching himself, Duo pushed against the bed with his feet and rocked back against Heero who hadn't expected the move and two of them hit the floor with a thud, Heero first. Duo snatched his braid out of Heero's hand, petting the tendrils soothingly and sniffed at his boyfriend sprawled on the ground.

" Serves you right for pulling my hair." He stuck out his tongue. " Fighting like a girl…"

" Excuse me?" Hermione stood in front of him and tapped the American on his shoulder. " Is that so bad?"

" Of course not!" Duo nodded his head up and down. Ron looked confused.

" Did he agree with her or not?" he demanded. Sirius rolled his eyes playfully and pushed the flame-haired boy off the bed.

Hermione lost her battle to keep from laughing and she eyed Duo curiously. " Is this another _ritual_?" she asked, referring to the morning sparring they'd been introduced to the other day. Duo shook his head.

" Nope – this is just payback."

" Does that mean you have to get him back?" Ron asked from his spot on the floor.

" Nah – I already did." 

Even Heero looked confused for a second – before his eyes took in the rout Wufei had travelled to escape Duo's wrath. Then his own eyes widened and he grinned. Hermione looked puzzled.

" Wha--?"

A faint cry of surprise came from the shower room and Duo settled back against Heero, looking completely satisfied.

" He ran away from me so fast, he forgot that Trowa and Quatre got to the bathroom first," was all he said. Sirius burst out laughing again and Hermione turned beet-red.

" Oh my…"

Ron still looked confused. " I don't get it."

" He'll get over it," Duo snickered, getting to his feet and pulling Heero up behind him. " It's not the first time this has happened." He rubbed his stomach. " I'm hungry. Are the gremlins returning for a sequel or do we ship out?"

" The Great Hall," Heero said. " You'll get a kick out of the ceiling."

Wufei stormed back into the room, his face red, his hair wet, and his clothing clinging to him damply as though he'd forgotten to dry off before dressing. He shot Duo an evil look as he grabbed a towel and began rubbing his hair. Hermione was still blushing, but she walked over to the Chinese boy and cleared her throat before murmuring a quick drying spell. Wufei froze as he felt heat wash over him and blinked in surprise. His hair and clothing were completely dry!

" Thank you," he said, clinging to the last shreds of his dignity with admirable stubbornness. Hermione nodded.

" Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast!" Duo chanted. " Let's go!"

" What about Trowa and Quatre?" Sirius asked, sneaking a glance at Wufei, whose ears flamed pink again.

" They are…busy at the moment," Wufei said shortly. " Can we not leave them a note?"

Sirius looked like he wanted to say something else entirely, but he behaved himself. " We'll get Dobby to lead them to the Great Hall," he said. " Let's go." He melted back into dog form.

They filed out of the room. Ron was the last one out and he was still looking back and forth from Hermione and Sirius to Wufei and Duo. " I _still_ don't get it."

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Breakfast was a rather casual affair. The interesting moment when Quatre and Trowa were escorted in by Dobby resulted in Wufei just shaking his head and muttering under his breath, while Duo laughed and laughed and laughed. Hermione had blushed again, and Ron extracted a promise from her to explain what the joke was later on.

Sirius finished the last of the sausage. Sleeping was all right, but in the middle of the summer with no one but Filch around, he refused to eat his breakfast like a dog, especially when there was little chance of a stranger happening across them and start accusing him of murder again. The only one they had to worry about was Filch who still maintained that Black was a murdering scoundrel and '_oughter be locked up'_. Anyway, Ron had pulled the Marauders Map out of his pocket, and after explaining it to the pilots, kept it out to track the caretaker's whereabouts. Though judging from the little droplets of water spraying everywhere on the parchment and the symbols rising in bubble form from the figure that represented Filch cursing, it would obviously be a while before Filch would be able to escape the Dungeon bathrooms. " So what are we going to do about your name, Heero?"

Heero looked up from where he was fending off Duo's snitching fingers from his plate with his spoon. " What about it?"

" I have to keep reminding myself that you know yourself as Heero now, but the rest of the world is still going to call you Harry." Sirius cocked an eyebrow at him. " What are you going to do about it?"

" Let them call me Harry," Heero said mildly. He brought the back of his spoon down across Duo's knuckles making the braided boy yelp and drop the bacon slice. " Call me Heero or Harry – I don't care. I'll answer to both."

" Not the first time he's had to live under an alias," Quatre pointed out. He sliced his toast in half and handed it to Trowa who accepted it in trade for the extra strawberry slices on his plate. " We're used to having to call each other by one name in public and another in private."

Sirius watched them trade portions of their breakfast. " Dobby gave us all the same stuff today," he said in amusement. " But tomorrow, you can ask him for specifically what you want instead of having to give it away."

Quatre smiled. " Of course." He accepted the grape cluster from Trowa. Sirius groaned and pretended to gag.

" The sweetness! The sappiness! I can't take it!"

" Tough!" Duo reached across the table for the pumpkin juice. " See what we've had to put up with for the last two years? Suffer along with us!"

Trowa eyed Duo for a second and then very deliberately tossed a stray grape. It landed in Duo's glass just as the American was about to take a sip, and the resulting splash made him splutter.

" Trowa!"

" Ooops," Trowa said blandly, his one visible eye beneath the fringe of hair twinkling.

" It's nice to see everyone enjoying a good meal," came a familiar voice. Everyone at the table looked up to see Dumbledore walking towards them. A multi-colored tabby cat kept pace alongside him, although it walked down the table instead of the aisle. " Did everyone sleep well?"

There were various murmurs of agreement, and Dumbledore nodded with satisfaction before focusing on Heero. " I wonder if I might speak with you once you've finished your meal?"

Heero nodded slowly. Duo watched suspiciously.

" Excellent! The password is 'Twizzlers'. No rush, my boy, whenever you're ready." He looked at Sirius. " You may come as well, Sirius. I'm sure you've some questions of your own to ask."

Sirius nodded.

Duo watched the elderly Headmaster leave the Great Hall and raised his eyebrow. " First day back, and already sent to the principal's office," he tisked. Despite the humorous words, his eyes narrowed slightly. " Should I be wanting to tag along?"

Heero shook his head. " I can handle it. Ron and Hermione can show you guys around while Sirius and I talk with him."

Duo eyed him for a minute and then nodded. " Sure thing." He glanced at the cat who was staring back at him. " Hey pretty kitty!"

Heero grinned. " However flattering Duo, most teachers are acknowledged as 'Professor'."

" Huh?"

The cat stretched and shifted, turning into one Minerva McGonagall who fixed a bemused look on the embarrassed pilot. 

" Good morning, Mr. Maxwell."

" Umm..hi?" Duo waved weakly and then his embarrassment disappeared. " She can do that animal thing too?" He grinned at Sirius and Heero. " You are DEFINITLEY going to show me how to do that!"

" Could he even do that?" Hermione piped up unexpectedly. " I mean, they're not magical, are they?"

" I hope to find out today, Miss Granger," McGonagall replied. "If you're willing of course, I should like to test you to see if you do have any magical ability."

Duo looked intrigued. " Cool."

Quatre looked at Trowa who nodded and then returned his gaze to the teacher. " Neither of us have any objections."

Wufei agreed. " I do not object either."

Hermione looked eagerly at the Deputy Headmistress. " May we watch the tests?"

Minerva nodded. " Again, unless they have any objections." The pilots shook their heads.

Heero stood up and Sirius followed suit. " We'll see you after our meeting with Dumbledore."  

Duo squeezed his hand gently and his eyes followed them out of the room. Hermione stood up, pulling Ron with her. " Come on guys!" Her eyes were shining with enthusiasm. " Let's go see if you're wizards or not!"

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End chapter 14 

The next chapter will have an in-depth discussion between Heero, Sirius and Dumbledore. Questions about Heero's past, filling in the gaps in his memory, and we get a hint of what's to come regarding Voldemort. Is he dead? Is it just like what happened 15 years ago? And what of Peter Pettigrew? What will be his fate?

Again, how is this progressing? Comments are greatly appreciated – what you liked, what you didn't like. Should I tone down the sap? Keep it the way I've got it? I'm trying to keep an even mix here – not to sappy, not to angsty, kinda neutral. After all, there's going to be lots of darkness later on. *smirks evilly*

So please, review? ^^ 


	16. Starting Over Again

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  **Qwerty** – I love you, simply because you said you don't mind how long I take to get additional chapters out. Not only did you say you liked the story, but you took the pressure off. ^^ THANK YOU! I noticed a few new readers – thanks for the lovely reviews **Otaku Freak**! **Teardrop**, welcome aboard – and I'm glad you liked the little 'shower scene'. ^^ **Jass, **I'm gonna hold you to that promise. ^^  **Shinimegami** – thanks for writing. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Please, continue grovelling. ^^ Just kidding. Everyone else? *hugs* 

Everyone is still waiting for inevitable meeting with Malfoy. ^^ My oh my, what _have_ I got planned? ^^ As for whether or not the boys are magical…you're going to have to wait and see. ^^

Additionally, no ones pointed this out yet, but as I've read the chapters after their arrival at Hogwarts, it occurred to me that just by seeing the castle, it _could_ mean they're magical, without needing to run through Minerva's tests. My defence for this would be the fact that they were deliberately brought to Hogwarts. I'm sure sometime in the past, the muggle parents of young wizards and witches were brought in for parent-teacher conferences or something – there has to be a spell to allow invited guests to see Hogwarts. And therein lies my defence for this oversight. ^^ Make of it as you will.

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Chapter 15 (15 December 2002) 

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The crackling sounds of the fire merrily burning in the Headmaster's office was oddly comforting, bringing to Heero's mind memories of impromptu camping trips with the other pilots on short missions. Despite the seriousness of the acts they had to perform, those times were always lightened by Duo's laughter, or Quatre's quiet excitement over living without proper housing. 

On rare occasions, Trowa would entertain them at either Duo or Quatre's request with juggling or tumbling. It was those camping trips coupled with Trowa's infinite patience that had refined Duo's knife-throwing ability.

Sometimes Wufei could be cajoled into telling one of the stories he had learned growing up, or would fence with Heero leaving the others as referee's and scorekeepers. Heero snorted – or cheerleader, in Duo's case. A blush appeared high on his cheekbones; so faint it was nearly unnoticeable. Duo had put those pompoms to creative use.

The heat from the fire warmed him outside even as the memories warmed him from the inside, and he felt himself relax, the uncharacteristic nervousness that had sprung upon him upon entering the large room melting away. Blaming the nerves on 'Harry', Heero finally turned away from the fire and faced his godfather and the Headmaster silently.

It was painfully obvious there were so many things they wanted to ask him yet they seemed hesitant, as though unsure how he would take their questioning. Well, Sirius looked that way. Dumbledore was watching him quietly, silently evaluating and judging, the twinkle in his eyes somewhat tempered by the knowledge of what was to come.

" It's good to have you back." Dumbledore leaned forward in his large, comfortable chair, catching Heero's gaze and holding it unwaveringly. An additional tendril of warmth filled Heero as he met the Headmaster's gaze, sensing the sincerity with which the sentiment was delivered. He nodded and let a small smile of his own appear.

" Thank you sir." He inclined his head towards the two of them. " Where do you want me to start?"

Sirius snorted, smiling faintly at his godson. " I'm tempted to say the beginning, but I know how long that is, and I don't know how much I'll be able to listen too. Duo gave me quite a few hints." His brow creased. " Did he really shoot you twice?"

Heero chuckled. " Three times, actually. The first two were warning shots – the third was an accident on both our parts."

Sirius growled and threw his hands up in frustration, rounding on Dumbledore. Pointing at Heero, he said, "See? He's going to give me a heart attack."

Dumbledore looked amused at Sirius's mock-horror but he turned a concerned look at the slight figure before him. His gaze was assessing again. " Heero?"

" Hm?"

" I do not want to bring up any truly unpleasant memories for you my boy." The headmaster seemed to be remembering a painful time that Heero had a good idea of.  " But you know that some things need to be brought to light if they are to heal. Your time in the future obviously had its share of hardships for you."

Heero shrugged. " It did." He cocked his head to one side, and a wry smile graced his Asian features. " Though I did learn a great deal about handling pain."

Sirius did not look comforted at that blasé statement. Dumbledore merely looked intrigued. " Can you explain, Heero?"

The small light that had been steadily growing in blue pools was suddenly dampened by a rising darkness, and the smile dropped away from Heero's face, replaced by the smooth mask of indifference that he had come to rely on a great deal.  " I suppose." 

Across from him, Fawkes trilled a quiet note of encouragement, a sweet note that seemed to gain solidarity, slipping inside his heart, a familiar presence he welcomed, and he smiled back at the phoenix, his mask unable to fool the ancient bird. Glancing at his godfather and Dumbledore, he sat rigidly on his chair, his eyes fading a bit as he looked back into his memories and began to speak.

He spoke of being alone and then being found. Of guns and war techniques and battle drills. Of doctors and tests and constant repression. Of the loneliness he was condemned too but somehow it wasn't able to break him.

His voice cracked as he spoke of a little girl and her puppy and the feelings that had swept through him when he saw the small dog curled up in death's embrace, knowing its owner had shared the same fate and that it was his fault. Twice Sirius seemed on the verge of leaving his seat to comfort him, but twin cobalt lasers pinned him in his seat.

Then his tone shifted as he spoke of his arrival on earth. He told them of a young girl destined to be queen, her obsession with him despite the threat he posed to her safety. Of her insistence on interfering in matters that were not her concern, and then his threats to her.

Then his eyes softened as he recounted his first meeting with the boy who would become the most important person in his world. He told a rapt Sirius how Duo had shot him in defence of the future queen and how she took his side anyway, bandaging his wounds and yelling at Duo for having the gall to shoot him. He laughed as he described the daring rescue at the hospital Duo had pulled off and though he heard the gasp Sirius let out as he described hurling himself out of the hospital window, over the cliff, with no intention of pulling the parachute cord Duo had pressed in his hand, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he spoke of Relena's scream piercing his subconscious like a knife, looking back up at Duo even as he fell headfirst and seeing the horror on the American boy's face. It was that horror that made him pull the cord finally, but the lateness of his move resulted in a broken leg as he hit the cliff side and rolled the rest of the way to the beach. 

That was when Duo had spoken the magical words, Heero told them softly. The idea of the American being his _only_ friend was unimportant – it was the simple word friend that had caught Heero's attention, even in his half-conscious state. Heero had never had a friend before. The thought of having one came in handy during his recovery period after he blew up his Gundam with him still in it. Sirius turned so pale at the story of his narrow brush with death and so Heero glossed over many of the finer details.

Heero talked until his voice was in danger of disappearing. He told them of capture of the pilot's, and how at one point Wufei and Duo had been deprived of air as a method of extermination until they had escaped. He recounted the history of the 'second half' of the war – what was referred to by so many as the 'Endless Waltz' of humanity. The ending of that war culminated with him in a hospital again, but again, Duo came to the rescue he remembered with a smile, charging through a pack of well-wishers and irritating blondes to drag his boyfriend out the back entrance. From there was the creation of the Preventers of which he became one of the inner circle. Duo was his partner first and foremost, but he worked equally well with any of the other pilots. They often planned their own missions, pretty much given free reign by Lady Une as she was fully aware of the extent of their knowledge.

" And you know what happens next," Heero finished tiredly. His throat was uncomfortably dry, and he smiled his thanks as Dumbledore conjured a cold goblet of pumpkin juice for him.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken for that length of time. Duo probably would have dropped dead from shock – either that, or two minutes into it, he would have pulled out a stopwatch so he could record the conversation for prosperity – or blackmail, he realized with a blush as he recalled how many times his life partner's name had come up.

Taking another sip, he studied the two main authority figures of his previous life, comparing the current versions with those of his memories. He hadn't had much time to note the differences before – his mind was still trying to process two separate timelines, as well as adjust to returning to a world he had once been a part of.

Sirius looked better, he noted with interest. His skin wasn't as pale as it had been, suggesting that a good deal of time had been spent outdoors. His hair had been stringy and dirty the last time they'd met thanks to spending a good portion of his freedom as a dog and no easy access to modern conveniences. Now it was thick and shiny, longer too, reaching down the middle of his shoulder blades. Part of it was hastily tied back in a loose ponytail, and the rest hung out in strands. He wore new robes –well, Heero reasoned, new to him at any rate. Robes that weren't dirty, worn through or patched. He wasn't as thin either – his cheeks were no longer the hollow gaunt pockets they had been.

All in all, he looked much healthier. Younger too. Heero eyed his godfather critically and wondered just what the relationship between him and Remus was. It was obvious someone was taking good care of the ex-convict. Before his second life, he would never have considered his godfather and his pseudo-uncle as a couple, but growing up in such different circumstances had given him a much more mature outlook on many things, relationships being one of them.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked much like he always did. Maybe there were a few more crows feet lining his eyes and forehead, but his beard and hair were the same length, his eyes still the same shade of blue, even if the twinkle was a little muted by the concern so evident there.

No, the main differences were with him. _Harry_ was not the dominant part of his personality, not after having been so completely and totally suppressed for nearly sixteen years. Heero had the memories and the magical ability, but he was aware that he was not the boy they knew. He had the feeling that Sirius and Dumbledore were starting to realize that.

" What kind of missions did you run?" Sirius asked quietly, still watching his godson. He had his wand out and was twisting the dogwood stick, a nervous gesture Heero noted idly. He blinked.

" Reconnaissance, mostly. As Gundam pilots, we're highly trained at infiltration as well as strategic attacks and defence, but primarily we acted as scouts first before coming back to incorporate an appropriate amount of troops into a plan." Heero's eyes faded again as he delved into his memories – the fresher ones, that is. " Sometimes all of us would be needed for a mission, other times Lady Une would split us up into teams for joint or separate missions." He smiled. " We work best together, and she knows that. She also knows the importance of having appropriate defences, and prevented us from destroying our Gundams after the war ended. They would be held in secure custody and used only in extreme emergencies. At least, that's what she planned."

" What happened?"

" Quatre's personal armed guard, the Maguanacs, took our Gundams from her secure facility and took them to one of Quatre's safe houses. It was a good thing too," Heero added. " Duo was about to rescue Deathscythe with or without us. We get kind of protective about our Gundams."

" I've heard you mention these Gundams before," Sirius said slowly. " I know they're machines."

" Forty-foot tall robots," Heero nodded. " Though if you call them robots in front of Wufei, he'll attack you with that katana of his."

Sirius grinned.

" Quite an interesting group you have," Dumbledore chuckled. " They are very courageous young men."

" They are," Heero agreed softly. " They are all very important to me – they would die for me, and I would lay down my life for any of them in a heart beat." His eyes darkened. " During war, alliances are tentative at best. I was a loner at first – I was trained to rely on myself alone, and that emotions and ties were nothing but mere distractions."

" What changed your mind?" Sirius stared at him as though he were afraid to hear the answer. Heero smiled faintly.

" Nearly getting killed has a way of springing an epiphany on a person," he replied. " When Doctor J said that the Gundams would not fall into Oz hands, I set off the self-destruct mode fully expecting to die with my Gundam. By what we considered miraculous but I now realize must have been some form of my magic trying to protect me, I survived. I was nursed back to health by Trowa and his sister Katharine – I had to depend on them completely for nearly a month." His eyes fell again on the flickering flames, the shadows drawing his attention. " I had destroyed a ship full of peaceful delegates – the ones who could have ended the war. It was an accident, one perfectly planned by the head of Oz, but it was still my fault." Heero's eyes closed. " When I recovered, I tracked down the families of those I killed and offered them a chance for retribution against me. They all declined."

" Retribution?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

Heero merely glanced at him with a blank face. " Yes."

Sirius shivered and seemed to decide not to ask. Heero was grateful.

" I had accepted that I had a lot to atone for, and a lot of work left to do in the war. We all had our dark moments – Trowa lost his memory, Quatre was taken over by the Zero system – a computer program designed to make any pilot of a mobile or Gundam suit a killing machine – and blew up a colony in a mad rage. Wufei's entire colony was destroyed in front of him and he switched sides in his confusion before waking up and helping us stop the fighting." Heero reached for his goblet again.

" So you've killed," Sirius said quietly. " And from what I understand, you've killed a lot of people."

Heero nodded, meeting Sirius's eyes squarely. A flicker of fear raced through his veins as he listened to the muted tone of his godfather's voice. What Heero had done in his second life was hard enough to understand in someone else. But Heero had the feeling that the more he talked, the more disappointed they got. After all, their _Harry_ wasn't a killer. A pawn, maybe, in a magical war, but not a cold-blooded killer. Steeling himself, Heero shrugged.

" Yes. But if you're asking for a total, I couldn't tell you. Start in the hundreds and work your way up." Heero narrowed his eyes. " After all, we never counted how many were inside when we blew up each base."

The cold voice nearly stopped Sirius in his tracks, but he must have heard and recognized the defensive note behind it because instead of anger, concern chased the blankness out of his stare.

" I see," was all he said, and he sat back, studying the boy again. Heero watched him carefully, trying to figure out what the man was thinking, but Sirius had a masking expression that would rival any poker face Heero could come up with.

" We find ourselves in an unusual situation then," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Fawkes seemed to echo his sentiments, nodding his feathered head up and down. " Yet like any darkness, there will always be a light. I regret that your second upbringing was even harsher then the first, Heero, but I am glad that the training and skills you've received were so thorough."

Heero cocked his head to the other side. " Sir?"

" Times are changing child. Changing and passing. With the passing of time, other forces grow stronger." Dumbledore sighed. " As much as I imagine most of the wizarding world would wish it, I fear we have not seen the last of Voldemort. Your skills are probably now on par with any Auror – it's merely the magical side we must work on so that you may protect yourself."

Heero felt himself bristling slightly. " I am able to take care of myself sir."

" Heero," Sirius said gently. " We're just worried about your safety. You've been gone for six weeks – we thought you were gone for good. Can you blame us for not wanting a repeat?"

Heero's first instinct was to repeat that he was capable of handling himself, but he clamped his jaw shut with an effort. He knew his words would make no difference. After all, Sirius himself had said it – six weeks. To them, he was the same Harry, only gone just over a month, not a lifetime.

Heero watched the two men comment to each other on possible training classes and felt faint stirrings of anger in his belly. Perhaps _Harry_ would have been eager for the classes, and for the offer of protection he heard Sirius make, but he was not Harry. Not anymore. Or at least, not exclusively. 

For Heero, the last time he'd been in anything resembling a school, for any length of time, was at Hogwarts. The schools he and Duo had infiltrated had been diversions, something they'd barely acknowledged. Their training was sufficient in that they knew more about physics, chemistry, computer programming, geography and mathematics then most of the teachers. Even if there had been a class they didn't do well in, a few simple clicks on the keyboard from Heero eliminated any truly bad marks. Had they been able to keep transcripts of their work rather then destroy all traces of their presence, they would have had an impressive record to showcase.

Heero watched Sirius and Dumbledore plan out his coming years at Hogwarts and frowned. He wasn't as dependent as Harry had been – not by a long shot. He also knew that as his friends, like Ron and Hermione before them, they would fall under the category of 'needing protection' and Heero knew full well how his fellow pilots would take it. Quatre, unable to be rude to anyone, would smile and thank the headmaster and then apologize profusely when he broke the rules. Wufei would simply ignore them, as he had no allegiance to Hogwarts, and would follow Heero's lead instead. Trowa would do what Quatre did. And Duo? 

Heero shuddered to think what Duo would do if he thought he was being babysat. He had once seen the American play a deadly game of 'tag' with Oz guards, 'hide and seek' with Lady Une, and Duo's mouth had gotten him into more hot water then any of the other pilots combined when they had been captured by Oz.  He shuddered again.

The movement caught Sirius's attention. " Harry? Are you okay?"

_Heero._ "I'm fine," he said quietly. " I guess I'm going to have to get used to being called that again."

Sirius looked confused, and then contrite. " I'm sorry Heero. I have to keep reminding myself." He shrugged. " But you better get used to it. The wizarding world still knows you as Harry, and so will the school when it starts up."

" But I don't look anything like I used too," Heero commented. " I fail to see why it's so hard to see me as someone else."

Sirius smiled. " I told you – that hair is vintage James Potter. And you have your scar, and that's something **no one** will ever forget." His smile vanished. " Heero, I'm really sorry about the mix-up."

Heero saw the sincerity and nodded. He wasn't mad at Sirius after all – Dumbledore either really. He was just going to have to show them he no longer required a twenty-four hour caretaker—

" **_ARGH!_**"

Sirius leaped out of his chair as Heero gave a hoarse cry of pain, hands clamping tightly to his forehead. The boy staggered and would have fallen had not Sirius caught him.

" Harry?" he blurted out again, instantly realizing what was happening. Heero's eyes rolled up into his head, and beneath the shaggy fringe of bangs, his scar seemed to pulse with a life of its own. " Albus?"

Dumbledore reached Heero's other side and they lay him down on the carpeted floor gently. " I suspect you know what is happening?"

" Voldemort," Sirius hissed, his worried eyes fixed firmly on his godson. 

All of a sudden, Heero's back arched and his fingers dug into the wood beneath him, a cry of pain escaping him. Then he collapsed again, but the pain seemed to be gone from his face, and his scar was a mere mark again. After a few minutes that to Sirius, seemed like hours, Heero's eyes fluttered open, and he gazed confusedly at the ceiling, fixating on Sirius when his godfather's face appeared overhead.

" Heero?"

" I forgot how much that _hurt_," Heero rasped. He shook his head and pushed himself up slowly, ignoring the hand Dumbledore held out to him but allowing Sirius's arm to brace him up from behind. " I can honestly say that was something I _didn't _miss."

" Heero?" Dumbledore asked, his brow creasing. Heero glanced at him.

_" _What do you think?" he said with sigh. " Voldemort isn't as dead as we'd like him to be." He suddenly laughed.

Sirius blinked at the snickering boy incredulously. " Heero?"

Heero shook his head again. " Wufei was right. Never assume your target's down without hard proof." He smiled wryly, staring at the wall in bemusement. " Maybe a bullet in the head after an _Avada Kadavra_ would do the trick."

He noted the silence that followed that statement and shrugged. " It was just an idea."

He got to his feet. " Are we done the Q&A session for now?"

" I suppose so," Dumbledore said slowly, watching the boy-who-was-not-a-boy. Sirius looked from Heero to the headmaster and back again. His eyes were wider then usual.

" Then I think I'm going to go and find out what kind of trouble Duo's into." Heero nodded curtly to the headmaster and his godfather before turning and striding out of the office. 

" He doesn't seem very…worried," Sirius commented after a minute. " Much less afraid or despairing."

" Time will tell if that's a good thing," Dumbledore said gravely. Then his eyes twinkled again. " But I have faith in Heero, Sirius. If nothing else, his story of the wars he's fought and the role's he's played, prove that he does the right thing. His heart is still there – it's just trying to cope with two lives of living in darkness." He smiled. " And I'm certain he's happy to re-discover he still has family left here."

" Sir?" Sirius blinked. 

" You know very well I mean you, Sirius." Dumbledore nodded firmly. " Family you are, even if not by blood."

Sirius flushed but didn't argue. " Why didn't you ask him about what he saw?"

"I've learned that I have to let Harry – now Heero – come to me with information," Dumbledore said quietly. " And right now, he doesn't trust me. Not completely."

" What? That's ridiculous!" Sirius looked outraged. Dumbledore held up his hands in a calming gesture.

" Peace, Sirius. It's quite all right. After all, to us he's been gone six weeks. But he's been gone a whole lifetime. He needs to trust me all over again, and I am content to wait for now." Dumbledore sighed. " Though I await the day he doesn't look at me with such suspicion. I would never harm the boy, yet he seems to think I will." His eyes were sad.

Sirius just looked at him, at a lost as to what to say. Dumbledore suddenly clapped his hands briskly. 

" Well, that's enough self-pity I dare say." He nodded at Sirius. " Are you not going to join your godson?"

" What makes you think he wants me there—" 

" Coming Sirius?" Heero stuck his head back in the door and for a split second, Sirius thought he saw a flash of green amongst the dark blue of his godson's eyes. He glanced, amused, at Dumbledore and then nodded, smiling.

" Of course!" Sirius turned and hit the ground in dog form, bounding out of Dumbledore's office, side by side with Heero. Dumbledore watched them leave.

" Yes," he murmured. " Time will tell."

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End Chapter 15 

Duh, Duh, Duh – another one bites the dust! ^^

I've been having sporadic internet service for nearly a week now, and a technician won't be here until next Friday to fix it up, so don't expect another chapter so soon. I'm lucky enough to get this up – all day today the internet has had an hour of outage per every ten minutes I get online which is barely enough time to upload this, check the formatting and do any reloading if necessary PLUS check my email – which I haven't really been able to do lately. But I'll do my best!

Next chapter deals with the pilots – who has magic and who doesn't? We'll see…^^

If you happen to think of it, say a prayer for  (if you believe in that), or send a cyber-kick to, my computer and make it work properly. Only then will you get more chapters. ^^ Here's hoping the techs call with an earlier appointment then next week.

FEEDBACK IS GRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT! ^^ Tony the tiger really encourages this. ^^ I like Frosted Flakes.


	17. Whose The Man, err, Wizard?

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  The idea of the little pink plastic practise wands from St. Mungo's was borrowed from **audiaa2** and her wonderful fic "Circumstance and Consequence". When I was trying to decide how one would test for magical ability, I remembered her fic and thought that was perfect! I'm modifying it a bit but the original idea is hers and hers alone and to her, I pay homage.

I am still unable to get into my email for more then three minutes at a time. My new cable modem works better then the old, but now there's an outage in the area that's playing havoc with my server. And when my internet windows crash, so does my operating system. A warning to you all – DO NOT USE WINDOWS ME! Upgrade! 

I wasn't expecting to get this out so quickly, but I saw the four lights flash on the modem – I have about ten minutes (if I'm lucky) before it dies again! Must post!

Thanks for all the Get-Well-Wishes for my computer. ^^  I love the 'prayer' you wrote me **Tee-dee** – I couldn't stop laughing! 

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Chapter 16 (Wednesday, 18-Dec-02) 

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I thought that being a Gundam pilot would have taken precedence in my mind as to what was the most unusual aspect of my life. I was quickly coming to the conclusion that with friends such as mine, I had my entire life yet to go in which strange scenarios would undoubtedly pop up and change my perceptions yet again. Until the next round however, I decided that being tested for magical powers was the new first place winner.

Still, I believe I'm handling this rather well. Of course, seeing a dog transform into a man is not something I think I'll ever get over, but I haven't broken down in my shock so far. Of course if I did, Quatre would worry far more then what was healthy for him and Duo would never let me forget it. Wufei? Well, he's handling everything being thrown at him about as well as I am – the 'shower incident' this morning notwithstanding. I think it's because he's determined not to let anyone see him at a moment of weakness. 

I don't understand how learning that magic really does seem to exist would be grounds for weakness, but then Wufei has always had a more…rigid, background then the rest of us. As Duo would say, Wufei was probably being held together with string and bubble gum right now. 

The thought of Wufei losing it nearly brought a smile to my face but I managed to shove it aside as I rose from the long table where we had been served breakfast. Heero's friend, Hermione, was eager to get started on our 'tests', reminding me of a nervous horse champing at the bit.  

A quick glance at Quatre shows me he's eager as well – but also somewhat apprehensive. That little chest rub motion he makes when his 'space heart' is acting up is a dead give away that he's picking up on something. It could either be the magic that seems to be a part of the very air here that he's reacting to, or it could be my nerves or Wufei's that he's sensing. I reach over and hold his hand, squeezing gently, reminding him that I'm here for him. The smile I get in return is nearly blinding in its intensity and I can see him visibly settle himself a bit.

" Come on, come on!" Duo has joined Hermione in trying to herd us along, and with a laugh, Quatre allows me to pull him to his feet before turning to the braided boy.

" We're coming Duo! Calm yourself my friend!" He tapped Duo's chest lightly. " If you're this excited now, what will you be like if you find out you have magic?"

Duo's eyes widened in excitement – and then abruptly darkened and he levelled an unusually serious look at Quatre.

" Shit, Quat – I didn't even think. Are you okay? You gotta be picking up some freaky vibes around here."

That's our Shinigami – always thinking of his friends. I can't say I'm as receptive as Quatre to Duo's ministrations when he thinks one of us is hurt, either mentally or physically, nor Wufei at that, but he and Quatre have always been close. Having so many sisters made Quatre long for a brother and he once confessed to me that Duo was the big brother he'd always wanted. Duo seemed to feel the same, and it wasn't unusual to hear him refer to Quatre as his 'little bro'.

Quatre flashed another million-watt smile at the American. " I'm fine Duo! I just don't want you to keel over from a heart attack!"

" Never!" Duo grinned back easily, and then gripped Quatre's other hand. He looked over at me. " Shall we skip along?"

The smile refused to stay hidden this time. I have to laugh, albeit quietly, and Duo takes that as a positive sign.

" Wuffer's?" 

Wufei sighed at the dreaded nickname and glared at Duo. " Restrain yourself, Maxwell. And watch your language – there are ladies present."

Duo blinked in confusion and then remembered Hermione and Professor McGonagall standing next to them, and turned a faint red. Ron was smiling, and Hermione kept glancing worriedly between Duo and the teacher. McGonagall, however, didn't seem to have heard the casual obscenity spit out by Duo and merely glanced at the oddly shaped watch on her wrist.

" Let's move along, gentlemen," was all she said. With a cheer, Duo snagged Hermione with his other arm and dragged her, Quatre and myself after the teacher. A quick glance behind showed Wufei shaking his head before taking up position behind us. My smile returned briefly – it seemed I was not the only one who had a hard time dropping old habits. There seemed to be nothing at this school that would harm us, but all of us would still follow the unspoken rules. 

Duo was the natural point with his stealth abilities, and Heero was his automatic partner. Quatre was an excellent fighter in his Gundam and a master strategist, but he lacked the outdoor survival training the rest of us had had, and so he kept to the middle, with myself flanking him for added protection. Wufei always took rear point, his gun and his sword providing him ample protection against both long and short-range opponents. It was an automatic given. 

I knew that Duo was joking around with Hermione as we all followed the teacher, who had reverted to her feline form again, but I also knew that he was constantly scanning for danger, regardless of how much he seemed to like it here. Wufei was doing the same thing, and so was I. Quatre was smiling at Duo's jokes and chatting with Ron but I knew that he was monitoring the immediate area for hostile thoughts directed at us.

Heero was now the unknown to me. I firmly believed that I knew the real Heero Yuy, and I still did. My problem was that I did not know Harry. The two were now inexplicably intertwined, and I could no longer reasonably expect Heero to react in the same fashion he always had. A bystander might consider that an unfair assumption for me to make, but as a soldier, and a warrior for peace, I had to take everything into account, make a judgement and hope for the best. 

Still, Heero was the dominant personality – that much was clear. So far, the emergence of his memories as 'Harry' resulted him being a little mellower then before, certainly a bit more social as we saw with Ron and Hermione. I wondered what other surprises would come up.

Then we reached a large doorway above which an antiquated sign that read _"Transfigurations"_ was hung and I remembered that more surprises were currently on their way.

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I'm not sure what I was expecting by way of testing. I suppose you can't judge a person's magical ability or lack thereof with a written examination or multiple-choice test. Still, the little pink stick sitting on the table before me made me raise an eyebrow in confusion. 

Duo picked it up and glared at it in disbelief, turning it around in his hands. "It looks like one of those sticks you get in a home pregnancy test!" he objected. " Where's the little plus or minus sign?"

Hermione burst out laughing. " It's a practise wand, Duo!"

Duo snorted at her and tossed the stick to Quatre. " Here Q-Ball – it's just your shade."

Quatre caught the wand and playfully bapped the Shinigami pilot on the head. " And just how would you know so much about home pregnancy tests?"

" I know a lot about many things, young one," Duo intoned in what he must have thought was an older-sounding, wise man-type voice, slinging his arm around Quatre's shoulders, since my arm was firmly wrapped around his waist. " Stick with me – I'll teach you about the world in no time!"

With a laugh, Quatre handed the wand to Wufei who studied it intently, as though trying to learn all its secrets through mere observation. After a few minutes, he snorted and gave it to me. I glanced at it and placed it back on the table.

" I trust you find it free of any booby traps now, gentlemen?" Minerva said archly. I gave her a blank look. It had been another habit – never trust blindly. Wufei gave her an unreadable look as well – I think he found her attitude patronizing, and I could sympathize.

Ron had his own wand out and lay it next to the pink one. " It's only half the size of mine," he said, fascinated. Apparently he'd never seen one before either.

Duo grinned. " I could make a joke about wizards, their wands, and comparing sizes, but Wufei would pull my braid out for forgetting my manners again."

McGonagall didn't even blink, but Hermione blushed bright red, as did Ron. It was interesting – these children were remarkably naïve and innocent. Then I mentally scolded myself – perhaps it was I and my fellow pilots who were too old, and too corrupted by war. For all I knew, Ron and Hermione were just acting normally for children who didn't grow up in a battlefield. 

As pilots, we were forced to grow up much quicker, taking comfort where we could get it. My arm tightened slightly around Quatre and he automatically leaned back against me, letting me feel the weight of him, reminding me silently that he was there. I smiled again – you can_not _hide anything from an empath.

" If we could get started, Mr. Maxwell?" McGonagall gave Duo a mild glare and he grinned sheepishly, reaching around behind him and pulling his braid over his shoulder, sticking the tip in his mouth and chewing the strands. I recognized the nervous habit – so did Quatre, and I watched my love gently pull the braid out of the American's mouth.

" Heero told you to stop chewing your braid," he said, smiling. " He said he's tired of hearing you whine about split ends."

Duo stuck out his tongue. In all likelihood, Heero just didn't like to see his boyfriend ruin that mane of hair he was so fascinated with. On more then one occasion, I had caught him running his hands through a sleeping Duo's hair, a look of complete awe on his face at what I assumed was the silky texture. Again, I could empathize. I took the same pleasure in Quatre's own golden hair.

If Duo was chewing his braid again, he really had to be nervous. He cared for his braid with an almost fanatical zeal and only extreme nerves made him chew the tip of it. In a split second I could see the desperate hope in his eyes that he would have some kind of power and I knew the braided boy well enough to know why.

Heero was obviously part of this magical community and would probably remain so. If Duo didn't have the same kind of power, then he would forever be separate from Heero's world. It would kill him to not be a part of it, but he was selfless enough that he would never force Heero to make a choice. If I knew Shinigami, it was more likely that he'd remove himself from the equation so the choice would never be an issue.

I suddenly made a silent wish that Duo test positive for magic. I didn't really care much myself – certainly the idea of magic was interesting, but I had lived my entire life without it. I could continue to do so. I had a gut feeling that Quatre would, and I knew that it didn't matter – I would be with him regardless, and love him no less. But I was used to being an inferior, as much as Quatre hated me referring to myself as such, and I could handle such a division between us by simply being there. 

Heero and Duo were partners, but they were equals. In their relationship there was a constant clash of wills and testing of restraints and boundaries, but there was also an equal amount of love, passion and forgiveness. Such a division would be an impossible breach between them, and though I knew it was an absurd wish, I silently requested that Duo be given the gift instead of me.

McGonagall picked up the wand. " This is a practise wand, as Miss Granger said." She held it up to all of us. " These wands are commonly used in St. Mungo's, a wizard hospital, for wizards who either need to relearn magic after an accident, or need to learn how to handle their power. It acts as a focus, without responding to the individual wizard. As you can see," she nodded at Hermione and Ron," each wizard has their own wand. The wand chooses the wizards, and enhances their own ability. This practise wand doesn't respond to anyone specifically. Rather, it reacts to the magic within a person and helps to refine it." She smiled. " It's that simple reaction that I'm going to be looking for."

She handed the wand to Wufei, who received it gingerly, eyeing the stick as though it were going to electrocute him now that he knew what it did. McGonagall raised an eyebrow. " Go on, give it a swish."

Wufei shrugged and gripped the wand firmly, giving it a good wave. The little wand hummed almost silently and McGonagall blinked in surprise. 

" Interesting," she murmured, and wrote something down on a piece of parchment she had handy. Hermione looked fascinated.

" What does that humming mean?" she asked eagerly. McGonagall frowned at her. 

" In a moment, Miss Granger. I would wait until the tests have been completed before making any judgements."

Hermione sighed but sat back down. Wufei glanced at me, and handed Quatre the wand. Quatre sat up in my arms, and I let him move, giving him space enough. With a small smile at me, he clutched the wand and closed his eyes, swirling the wand in a small circle. 

A soft glow emanated from the little wand and Quatre gasped, his eyes flying open and fixing on it. His face lit up with pleasure at the warm glow bathing his face. I smiled.

McGonagall smiled and made another notation on the parchment. 

Duo was fairly dancing in his seat and I nodded at Quatre. Better to let the American get it over with before he bounced his way right on to the floor. With a small laugh, Quatre handed the pink stick over and Duo snatched it eagerly. 

Then the eagerness drained from him, leaving behind a worried expression and a slight look of fear in his eyes that unnerved me. Fear was something of an unknown to Duo. A quick glance at Wufei revealed his own surprise at the naked emotions standing out from the braided baka and when his own eyes met mine, subconsciously I knew that Wufei was probably hoping the same thing for Duo as I was. The two of them would always appear the world at large as being enemies at worst, associates at best, but among us, we all knew that both would die for the other. Their taunting and teasing was something that had become ritualistic for them, something they could both count on.

If Duo didn't get to share the same world as Heero, Wufei would feel Duo's pain as keenly as he would his own.

With a shaky indrawn breath, Duo squeezed his eyes shut and frantically waved the wand around. 

A light, not unlike Quatre's, shone from the wand. It was darker, but it was still warm and inviting, like Duo himself. I smiled – surely that was as positive a sign as anything. 

Duo opened his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding. 

" Whoa," he said weakly and handed the wand to me. I accepted it calmly, and looked at Quatre. 

 His eyes were fixed on mine, conveying all the love he felt for me, as well as the acceptance. _It doesn't matter_, his eyes said to me, and suddenly, I honestly didn't care whether the wand lit or not.

My eyes still on his, I gave the wand an experimental wave, and heard the same light humming I'd heard when Wufei had tried. It didn't feel wrong, or right for that matter. The wand was warm in my hand, and I set it down on the table.

Quatre moved back in the circle of my arms and snuggled close. I could tell Ron and Hermione were still unused to the public display of affections but public opinion had never mattered to me. McGonagall glared at the two of us though, as though she disapproved of the action, but the softness hidden at the back of her eyes, nearly hidden by her spectacles, proved that at least it wasn't the nature of our relationship she felt was inappropriate. 

That was good. Heero respected these people. It wouldn't do for me to attack them for making Quatre upset if they had negatively commented on two males in love. 

I wondered how they were truly handling Heero and Duo's relationship.

Hermione was twitching in her seat, looking remarkably like Duo. " Professor?"

McGonagall was about to speak when the Transfigurations door opened and Heero walked in, followed by Sirius in dog-form. Duo grinned at him.

" Hee-chan!" Jumping up, he tackled Heero around the waist, hugging him tightly. It was to his credit that Heero didn't automatically push him away in the presence of others. Rather, his eyes seemed to glow a little, and the ever-present smirk softened just a fraction. To others, he would seem remarkably stiff, but Quatre, Wufei and myself could see the differences, plain as day.

Heero automatically wrapped the three-foot long plait of hair around his hand, gripping the tail end. 'My leash', he called it, to Duo's constant consternation. Duo slipped his arm around Heero's waist and guided him over to the desk we'd all been perched around. 

Obligingly, I pushed back a little, bringing Quatre with me, giving Heero room to join us. Sirius transformed back into human form and hung back a little, deciding to sit on a neighbouring desk instead. 

" So what's the verdict?" Heero asked. His voice was remarkably calm.

The professor looked back down at her parchment and briefly explained to them what they had done, holding up the pink plastic wand, and then telling what the results had been for each of us.

" What does that mean though?" Ron asked, confused. " That they're all magic?"

" Not quite," McGonagall said. She nodded at Duo and then at Quatre. " These two definitely have magical potential. The light reaction was a physical manifestation of your power, raw and untrained. With a real wand, one suited to each of you, you will find yourself able to do much more, if you decide to stay here and train in its use."

Duo let out a huge sigh of relief. " Oh thank Shinigami." He rubbed his chest and grinned weakly at the rest of us. " I think I was about to have that heart attack you warned me about, Quat."

" I can tell," Quatre said, just as weakly. He smiled at me reassuringly.

" I had no doubt," Heero said calmly, but his eyes were dancing. " You were able to use the Invisibility Cloak. If you had no magical ability, it would have stayed visible."

Duo froze and then glared at him. " You knew?"

" Yes."

" And you didn't see fit to inform me of this little fact? That it was a given?"

Heero shrugged and the corner of his mouth lifted. " I forgot?"

Duo growled and launched himself at his partner. Ron and Hermione started with alarm, but then blushed again as they realized Duo's method of punishment was to kiss the Perfect Soldier senseless. McGonagall cleared her throat.

" Gentlemen!" She stressed the word severely. "Please show a little decorum, particularly you, Mr. Potter."

Beneath Duo, Heero tensed. I could see his muscles twitch at the name. I could see Quatre look confusedly at Heero. 

Duo saw Heero stiffen as well, and rubbed his arm gently, seeking to soothe him with softly crooned words. After a minute, the two of them returned to their seat, but this time, Duo settled himself in Heero's arms, much like Quatre was in mine, and he levelled an angry glare at the teacher.

Quatre twisted his head around to look at me, and I nodded slightly. We would have to keep an eye on the two of them. Heero was known for his self-restraint but Duo was not. And it had quickly become known throughout the Preventor building that if you wanted to survive as an agent, you did _not_ piss off one Duo Maxwell. And the sure-fire way of pissing him off, was to offend Heero in any way, shape or form.

Duo was unique in that he truly had no allegiance to anyone over himself and Heero. He followed the rules and did his job, much the same way he did throughout the war, but he held his friends in high regard, and considered any slight to us a personal insult, and would not hesitate in seeking retribution. 

Wufei was watching closely as well. Quatre wrapped his hands around mine, drawing my arms around his waist and clasping them there. 

" So what about Trowa and Wufei?" Ron asked, in an attempt to lighten the situation. McGonagall looked relieved at the question and adjusted her spectacles to look back down on her paper.

" Well, Trowa and Wufei are unique themselves," she said. " They're squibs."

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End Chapter 16 

How's that?  How many of you saw that coming?

But hang on, don't fret. I have my own theories about squibs, again based on another author's excellent fics in where she made some good arguments and won me over about the true nature of a squib's talents. If you know whom I'm talking about, great, but I won't say here who it is – not until the next chapter is done, and credit is given where credit is due. I don't want too many hints given away about what's to come. 

Trowa's mind is insanely hard to get into and write. I hope I didn't butcher him too badly. ^^ Still, my boys are quick healers – none of my damage is ever permanent.

We've beaten the 200 review mark! ^^ This is an FFNet first for me! HoD is still in first place with over 500 personal emails, but this completely rocks! Each time I get a review, I feel obligated to sit down and write more – and look how quickly this part came out, so soon after 15. ^^

This fic is probably going to run to about 20 chapters – maybe – and then end, with plans for an immediate sequel. So sit back – the best is yet to come!

Feedback please?


	18. The Squib Theory

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  Nag, nag, NAG! ^__^ This chapter is dedicated to Teedee, ChibiAnge, Ms Talon and of course, Luna-chan, for their persistence in getting me to write this. Anyone else want to have a similar effect? Then drop by my website's main page and play 'tag' with us – after you review here, of course. *winks*

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Chapter 17 (8 February 2003) 

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The old castle had stood there on the hillside for centuries, alone and crumbling. Very little remained of the once-imposing structure, save for a skeletal framework of brick and forged steel. The wood had long since rotted away.

It was set deep into the hillside, far away from any neighbouring towns or cities. A few farmers dotted the landscape before it, but it was common knowledge to the people that you just pretended the castle wasn't there. Legends spoke of a horrible ghost that lived there, waiting for unsuspecting visitors to arrive to scare their hair white, or even kill them, giving the ghost someone to haunt eternity with. Better to ignore the weathered rocks and ancient spires that looked like ghastly steel fingers brushing the sky's edge.

In reality, the castle a leftover remnant of the olden days. Perhaps the British government would have taken more interest in it had they known it had once been a part of the Kingdom of Camelot – another old legend, but far better known. It was ironic that such a place, that once belonged to advocators of peace, when it was now used for the darkest evils.

Old and frail the castle might now have been, but it still contained many secrets. The last of which was alternate passageways into the remains, leading underneath the castle, and into secret rooms dug into the actual hill itself. Such rooms were once war rooms, rooms that housed knowledge and power. And so they did again.

Lucius Malfoy hated coming here. He was a Malfoy – accustomed to only the finest accommodations.  Creeping among ruins was _supposed_ to be reserved for lesser subordinates. _But_, he surmised, _since that idiot rat Pettigrew had gotten himself captured, that only leaves myself as Voldemort's right hand_. His Lord would trust no other, of course. 

He stooped low to avoid an archway that had collapsed some time ago, and pulled out his wand as he stood before a large boulder. Waving it, he whispered the charm that levitated the boulder to the side, revealing a dark passageway. 

" _Incendium_!" A flame burst out of the makeshift torch he carried, illuminating the passageway. Lucious barely managed to stifle a growl of indignation as a small swarm of cockroaches and other large insects scurried away into the darkness.

No, he was not pleased at all.

Thankfully, the walk down the dank corridor was a short one, and he soon emerged from the tunnel into what used to be an old safe room, hidden far deeper into the hill then any of the other rooms. Other torches, similar to his own, encircled the room, already burning brightly. A small, old-fashioned and extremely rusted vent let the smoke escape. 

Despite the age of the old castle dungeons, there were rather a lot of modern conveniences. Books on the newer looking table. A bottle of ink with a quill. An armchair in the corner.

A glowing crystal ball on a black-crystal perch, directly in front of him.

The instant Lucious Malfoy's eyes lit on the orb, he could feel a wave of dark energy rush over him like a tidal wave. The crystal flashed darkly, recognizing the intruder, and the energy within it swelled and frothed like a storm-tossed ocean.

Lucious bit his lip. Well, he was there, wasn't he? It was more then could be said for the others who had supposedly sworn their allegiance. Notice no one else had crawled through disgusting and dirty little passageways.

" I have come," he murmured softly, as he knew he had to. Another dark flash followed his words. " I have come as you have bidden, my Lord."

Outside, the sky darkened. Clouds swirled in from nowhere; lightning crashed down on the land below. Cows in the lush English countryside stomped their hooves, and horses whinnied in fear at the unnatural swiftness of the coming storm.

And below the ancient castle, deep in the abandoned catacombs, two glowing red orbs appeared on the surface of the crystal, and a harsh sound of laughter echoed throughout the hillside.

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Hermione was positive she'd heard wrong. 

" A squib?" She cocked her head to one side, staring at the Transfigurations professor. " Isn't that kind of…odd?"

Wufei glanced at Trowa. " I don't feel reassured," he said dryly. Trowa snorted and nuzzled the top of Quatre's head, uncaring. The blonde tightened his own grip on Trowa's fingers.

" What's a squib?" Duo wanted to know. He glanced at Heero who had a look that matched Hermione's on his face. And Ron…Ron seemed to be looking somewhat sympathetic. " Is that bad?"

" Not at all, Mr Maxwell," McGonagall said briskly. She scooped up the practice wand and put it away in her pocket. " It's just a little rare." She smiled at them. " Rare, and extremely fascinating, to tell you the truth."

" What's so fascinating about squibs?" Ron asked, wrinkling his nose. The only image he could put to mind about squibs was Argus Filch and _he_ certainly wasn't someone to envy.

" And just what do you know about squibs?" McGonagall countered swiftly, crossing her arms and staring down her nose at Ron who immediately began to squirm. True to form, Hermione raised her arm. " Miss Granger?"

" They're non-magical people born to a wizarding family," she answered promptly. Minerva smiled.

" A textbook response Miss Granger – and only partially right." The Transfigurations teacher pulled out her chair and sat down, folding her hands on the desktop. Hermione and Ron settled back instinctively, and Harry tugged Duo over to one of the desks. Even Sirius recognized McGonagall's 'game face' and sat down properly in his chair. " The truth is, Squibs do possess some magical ability. And squibs are far more rare then one would ever imagine."

" So Neville's NOT a squib?" Heero remarked idly. Ron snickered. Duo blinked.

" Who's Neville?" 

" No, Mr Yuy – Mr Longbottom is not a squib." McGonagall frowned at him. " There is only one squib at Hogwarts, and that is our caretaker, Mr Filch. He has been the only squib to enter these halls in a great many years."

" That's not surprising," Ron said slowly. " I mean, I thought squibs didn't come to Hogwarts because they couldn't do magic?"

McGonagall laughed. " Certainly not, Mr Weasely. How else would Mr Filch get his education?"

" Filch went to Hogwarts?" Hermione blurted out. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth as she registered the disbelieving tone of her own words. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Minerva glanced at her.

" Indeed he did, Miss Granger."

" Can someone please explain what a squib is – in a little more detail?" Quatre asked with interest. " If Trowa and Wufei posses magical ability, what prevents them from being wizards?"

" An excellent question, Mr Winner." The professor smiled. " And to answer it, I shall have to give you some background information that might seem like common knowledge from Mr's Potter and Weasely, and Miss Granger." She steepled her fingers. " Magic is all around us to begin with. It's in everything – including us. Witches and wizards are able to tap into the existing magic, and the skill and amount that you are able to, as well as how much of a wellspring you have within yourself to draw from, decides how powerful a witch or wizard will be. Mr Yuy," she nodded her head at Heero. " –has an unusually large wellspring, for lack of a better term, to draw from. Part of this is due to the power he inherited from his parents, who were immensely powerful in their own right. And part of it is due to the conflict he had with Lord Voldemort as a baby, during the age when a child's magic is the most pure, the most uncorrupted."

Duo snorted. " That's my Perfect Soldier," he grinned. Heero punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!"

" Squibs, on the other hand, are unable to tap into that wellspring. Like everything else, the magic exists both around and inside them, but they lack the ability to access it." McGonagall looked at all of them, meeting their eyes squarely. " But magic cannot be ignored. A wizard who tries to live as a muggle will still feel the magical energies inside them, and would be forever battling the urge to use it the way they _know_ they can. And for a squib, this means the magic finds its own ways of breaking past the barrier."

" How?" Hermione asked, fascinated.

" It's difficult to say," McGonagall sighed with annoyance. " There are so few squibs in reality, that it's never been properly documented. It ranges from enhanced talents to abilities that seem like magical powers." She smiled. " Take Mr Filch for example. He has an uncanny knack for telling when spirits are about."

" Talking to ghosts?" Ron snorted. " Everyone here can talk to ghosts. Sir Nick gets a kick out of having conversations with the first years with his head hanging to the side."

" Ah, but I said _spirits_, Mr Weasely. No one is really sure why some people become ghosts. Not every individual who dies becomes one. Most become spirits, off to whatever afterlife exists for them. But spirits can be found everywhere – and Mr Filch can talk to them."

" True spirits are invisible, aren't they?" Hermione said suddenly. 

" Which explains why sometimes you can find Mr Filch talking to himself even when Miss Norris is gone," Heero surmised. McGonagall smiled.

" Two points to Gryffindor."

" So let me get this straight," Duo broke in. " Tro and 'Fei have magic like me and Quat – but instead of a wand, they have other ways of showing it?"

" Precisely, Mr Maxwell." McGonagall nodded firmly. " What forms and directions your talents will take remains to be seen – I'm sure discovering them will be just as interesting as regular classes for you and Mr Winner will be."

" But how can they go to class?" Ron asked again. " They can't do Charms without a wand! And what about Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

" I seem to recall saying that squibs do get an education, the same as any other witch or wizard," McGonagall said sternly. 

" Potions, for example. There was a Potions Master in the late seventeen hundred's who was a squib. Not to mention Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies and of course, Divination." McGonagall's lip twitched. " It does not take a wand to read the cards of the future…."

" Or the tea sludge," Ron muttered. 

Hermione rolled her eyes.

" Squibs can also take Defence Against the Dark Arts, in a limited fashion," the professor continued. " Squibs have to learn which creatures are dark, and how best to defend themselves from them, as well as the magical artefacts and items that could protect themselves from harm. Practical demonstrations such as casting a Patronus wouldn't be feasible the normal route, but it would be interesting to see how a squib's powers react when faced against a dark creature."

" Why are some people born squibs, especially if the power is present in both the parents?" Wufei asked quietly, trying to absorb all that he was hearing.

The professor nodded at him. " Another excellent question, Mr Chang." She sounded pleased. " As I said, squibs are actually fairly rare, and are most common in cases where the mother is a muggle, or when both the mother and the father have a very shallow wellspring of power."

" It makes sense," Quatre said slowly. " If I understand that theory right, it has to do with the bond a mother has with her child. The father may be a powerful wizard, but the child is nurtured for nine months with the energy and life force of a muggle. For what is a birth but the creation of a new life force; a new life force that requires similar energy and magic? And if both the parents have little magical power, that deficiency is handed down to the child during the pregnancy."

" Genetic dilution," Wufei agreed. " If both parents were half muggle, the odds of a muggle child or squib are greater then the odds of that happening to a powerful magical couple. Or, in the case of the muggle mother, the child takes after one of the parents more then the other, primarily the mother due to that long bonding process Quatre mentioned."

" J and G would have a field day with this – can you imagine them trying to create the Perfect Wizard?" Duo mused. Heero glared at him.

" Is there a test like the one we just took, to help us discover what our talents are?" Trowa asked. McGonagall shook her head.

" You'll just have to discover that for yourself, Mr. Barton." She smiled. " I think you'll know what your talent is when you're ready,"

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" Hello Molly." Dumbledore's head appeared in the Weasely fireplace. Molly Weasely shrieked with surprise, flinging her spatula at the fire. Dumbledore blinked as the implement settled into the ashes. " Excellent aim, my dear!"

" Dumbledore!" Molly gasped, clutching her heart. " I wasn't expecting anyone – I turned the fire-buzz off!"

" I see," the headmaster chuckled. " I'm sorry for startling you. Have I reached you at a bad time?"

" Of course not sir," Molly said, regaining her composure with remarkable swiftness. Then again, raising a pair of twins that blew the lid off your very last nerve on a daily basis was sure to give one excellent shock-recuperative skills. " How can I help you?"

" I know you've been kept up to date with regards to the re-appearance of Harry – Ron did owl you, did he not?"

" No, but Remus Lupin did." Molly smiled at the floating head. " Remus called me the night you all got back from the future world, and told me what had happened. Thank goodness Harry's all right!"

" How heartily I echo your sentiments, my dear," Dumbledore chuckled. " We were very lucky."

" How is he, headmaster?"

" He looks a bit different from the Harry we remember, and of course, he now has a whole separate lifetime full of memories to keep track of, but all in all, he's doing just fine."  One blue eye twinkled. " His friends are busy discovering their magical possibilities."

" Oh, that should be interesting."

" Indeed. Still, Molly, I do have an alternative reason for fire-calling you."

Molly tilted her head to one side. " Sir?"

" I wonder if you might find room in your heart – and your home – to take in a few extra people for the remainder of the holidays…."

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A few lines shorter then the previous chapters, but the next one kinda splits off in a new direction and I didn't want to drag this out.

*grins* Look guys – I made it with an hour and a half to spare!

Review please?


	19. Meet the Weasely's

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes:**  Again, dedicated to Talon, Luna, Chibs, and Kitty-kat – you wonderful, loveable naggers you. ^^ Anyone else who wants to join in this group – simply visit my website () and drop me a line on my tag board. ^^

I have over 50 emails in my inbox waiting for responses. I *will* get to them. ^^ Sorry for taking so long.

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Chapter 18 (19 February 2003) 

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He tilted his head to one side. Then he tilted it back the other way. Nope, not right. His head veered back to the other side again. Still not right. Maybe if he stood on his head, or even if he lay down on the grass and craned his neck to the right – nope. It was still wrong.

Duo scratched the back of his head and looked over at Quatre who was gazing back at him with the same confused expression. " Quatre?"

" Yes Duo?"

" Structurally speaking, that house shouldn't be standing, right?"

" No Duo."

" Just checking."  Man, the things one could do with magic. To the other side of him, he could hear Heero and Ron laughing at him and he shrugged, picking up his duffel bag, the only thing that had come with them to this strange new world. 

Heero choked back his laughter and waved at Ron to do the same. He had expected a reaction like that from Duo and Quatre. Trowa, as usual, was unfazed that the house they were to stay in for the remainder of the summer seemed to spread out in ways never before heard of in the construction world, and Wufei had simply raised an eyebrow at the outlandish house, muttering, 'Of course," beneath his breath as he turned his gaze downwards to the chickens that seemed fascinated by his feet. Every few seconds Wufei's leg jerked out in warning at the scrawny brown hens to stay away.

" Welcome to the Burrow," Sirius said, smiling. He was happy to be there. Once getting over the shock of learning that Sirius Black, the mass murderer, was innocent, she'd wasted no time in adopting him as yet another honorary Weasely. Harry, Heero recalled his former life with a small smile, had been pleased for those few days of Sirius's freedom – he wasn't the only one on Molly Weasley's 'Fatten' 'Em Up' program. That had been just before the whole Harry-Killed-Voldemort-And-Nearly-Wound-Up-Dead-Himself thingie that had shaved years of Sirius's own life and completely ruined whatever progress Molly had made with him. " You're going to love it here."

" I always have," Heero said quietly, running his eyes over the familiar place he'd come to call home over the last few weeks of every summer since he'd started Hogwarts. 

With the exception of a few new stories to the building, it really hadn't changed all that much. Bright curtains still fluttered in the windows, smoke curled out of two of the three chimneys, and Heero's eyes could just make out a familiar shade of blue edging out of the shed.

" Ron?"

Ron looked in the direction Heero was staring. " Oh yeah – Dad got Charley and Bill to round up the Ford Anglia out of the Forbidden Forest and bring 'er back." He winked mischievously. " Dad got the invisibility button working again."

Heero smirked. " Very interesting."  Hermione groaned.

" You will not touch that car," a familiar voice cut in warningly. Looking up, the group on the lawn watched Molly Weasely stride across the lawn, a gaggle of redheads trailing behind her. " Not until you get your licences!"

She stormed closer. Duo, for a split second, thought she was actually angry and he automatically tensed. Then he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes, eyes that fixed like homing beacons on his partner, and with a knowing smile, he stepped away from the Perfect Soldier, leaving him to the wrath of Molly Weasely.

Heero had time to blink before Molly's strong arms were wrapped around him so tightly he almost couldn't breathe, one work-worn hand clutching the back of his head as she rocked him like a child for a minute. Heero could feel her tears spilling over, dripping onto his head and for a moment, he let go of his ironclad control and hugged her back just as fiercely. 

" Mrs Weasely," he choked out. Molly pulled back enough to see him, and Heero smiled at the face filled with motherly concern. " Thanks for having us."

Molly shook her finger at him, her whole arm trembling. " If you ever, _EVER_, scare me like that again child…" she didn't finish her sentence, but gathered him up again, squeezing him one more time. " Oh thank heavens," she whispered.

After another minute, she stepped back completely, using a corner of her apron to dry away her tears. Sniffling, she smiled at him again, and then looked over at the group of people watching the emotional display. " And who have we here?"

Heero ran through the introductions quickly, and Molly looked from him to Duo to him and then back to Duo again. She smiled at the carefully neutral expression on the longhaired boy's face, having noted the tiny look of jealousy that had flickered there when she had held Harry. The natural mother-hen nature in her made her walk over to him and scoop him into a hug as well. " I hear you're the one who's been taking care of Harry."

Duo froze, unused to perfect strangers hugging him. " Umm..yes?"

She laughed and squeezed him. Then, determined not leave anyone out, she gave out welcoming hugs to the rest of the pilots, including Wufei who was not successful in deterring her by sticking out his hand for a handshake. Duo giggled at the uncomfortable yet resigned look on his face. Molly didn't push it however, and let him go after a minute. Quatre on the other hand, laughed and agreeably hugged her back, making Molly's eyes fill with tears. 

Heero noted the sheer emotion Mrs Weasely was showing, and wondered just how much she knew about them, and their life. Probably more then he thought. 

Then he noticed that the others, who had followed Molly out of the house, were still standing just across the grass, watching uncertainly. His lip twitched.

" Hello Fred, George. I see you haven't blown up the house yet."

That seemed to break the tension, and two identical redheads raced over, tackling Heero. Or at least, they tried to. One quick hip check and a roll sent the twins to the ground, but Heero kept his hand on them to slow their descent. Slightly.

Two thumps later, the two glared up at him, rubbing their sides. " Since when did you become a kung-fu master?"

Heero held out his hand to pull them up. " Since now?"

" It's great to see you mate!" Fred exclaimed enthusiastically, ruffling Heero's hair. Normally, the stoic boy would have sent a patented death glare in his direction, but Harry was showing a more forceful side that day, slipping between Heero's cracks and splinters caused by Molly Weasley's heartfelt welcome. Instead, Heero ducked under the hand and nodded back with a slight smile. 

" You too."

" What he said, oh Seeker my Seeker, " George echoed his twin's enthusiasm, pumping Heero's hand up and down. " You had the old woman scared more then the time we fed a Canary Cream to a young Fireball Charley was showing off and had to run for our lives from a feathered, clucking dragon!"

" How is Charley doing?"

" He's fine – and right here." 

Heero looked past George's shoulder to see the stocky, muscular Weasely striding towards them. " You didn't think I'd miss the homecoming of Harry Potter, did you?"

Heero shrugged. " You're a busy guy," he said, giving another small smile. Charley chuckled and gave him a great hug, picking him off the ground and ruffling his hair like he did to his other younger siblings. 

" Welcome back, kiddo," he said quietly, setting him down. His eyes were serious. " You know you're just like the others – one of my and Bill's younger brothers. You know that, right?"

In his heart, Heero/Harry knew, but it had been an unspoken knowledge. His smile was a little bigger this time. " I've always known."

" Good." Charley released him and stepped back. Heero noted a thick white bandage wrapped around his forearm and raised a questioning eyebrow. Charley followed the direction of his gaze and laughed again.

" Got in a tussle with a baby Short-Snout," he admitted. " Didn't want his inoculations."

" I'm not even going to ask."

Ginny and Bill were next. The youngest of the redheaded clan hugged Heero tightly and for a minute, Heero thought he was going to have a younger version of Relena to deal with. Then Ginny let go of him and smiled over his shoulder at Duo. It was a small smile, a sad one at that, and Heero knew that she knew what Duo meant to him. _Someone had been spilling secrets._ She looked back at Heero and nodded. " Welcome home, Heero."_ A lot of secrets._

Bill treated him much the same as Charley, hugging him strongly and telling him in no uncertain terms to never scare them like that again. Heero smiled and nodded.

Sirius was still hanging back a bit from the large gathering, still unused to large crowds. Molly slipped through the group and eyed him mischievously.

" Nervous, Mr. Black?" she asked sweetly. Sirius smiled, raking a hand through his hair.

" A bit."

Molly smacked him lightly on the arm. " Well, stop it! No one here is going to bite you – though it looks like you could use a bite of something yourself." She pinched his side and he yelped. Heero's head snapped over in his direction at the sound, but then amusement entered his gaze and he gave a small wave before turning back to the others. Sirius grumbled._ Traitor!_

Then he looked back at Molly who was waiting for him to decide and he obligingly held out his arm for her. She looped her arm through his and led him back through the crowd towards the house, telling everyone that lunch was ready for them and if they would just follow her, it would be served promptly. Sirius did a quick headcount and realized something.

" Where's Arthur, Molly?"

" Oh he wanted to be here," she sighed. " But he got called in this morning for an emergency meeting. He'll be out early though."

" Oh." 

Sirius watched Heero and Duo walk in with the twins, the two redheads trying to fill Heero in on all that he'd missed since his disappearance six weeks ago – _did they even know the whole story_, he wondered – and Wufei had drifted near Charley, drawn by the mention of dragons, and the two of them plus Bill were having a lively discussion as they entered the lopsided house. Quatre and Trowa stuck close to Hermione and Ron, the only people they were familiar with after Heero and Duo, and were introducing themselves to Ginny.

Everyone seemed to be getting along well, for the most part. Sirius smiled and then the smell of food was upon him and everything else suddenly became second priority.

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Lunch was a rather noisy affair, even by Weasely standards. The addition of five people from a future world was exciting enough, and the twins fired question after question at their guests. Arthur Weasely had popped in moments after they'd been seated, and wasted no time joining the twins in their questioning. Quatre, always polite and accommodating, was answering as best he could while trying not to divulge information that he seemed to understand Heero didn't want to be common knowledge yet. The fact that they were Gundam Pilots for one thing. The fact that they'd grown up in a war-torn era for another. Most importantly, Heero wasn't yet ready to tell everyone just exactly what it meant to be a Gundam pilot. That Hermione and Ron knew, as well as his professors and of course Sirius was more then enough for now.

Next to him, Duo was wolfing down his food, his eyes conveying his sheer appreciation for the spread Molly had laid out for them all. He was avidly listening to the conversation between Charley, Bill and Wufei – actually, it was more of a one-sided monologue by the dragon-keeper who was off on a roll about his favorite topic. Bill was throwing in a few comments about some of the traps he'd faced and Wufei had a few rather cryptic remarks about security that made the rebel Weasely laugh out loud.

At the end of the table, Ginny was picking at her food, a strange expression on her face. After a few minutes, she felt Heero's eyes on her and she lifted her head, giving him the same sad smile from before. Then she murmured an excuse to her mother who waved her away, before standing up and leaving the table. 

Heero watched her go outside, and he rose. Duo glanced at him questioningly.

" Back in a second," he said nodding at the stairs as though he had to go make use of the little wizards room. But Duo narrowed his eyes, spotted Ginny letting the front door fall shut behind her, and a light dawned in his eyes. Heero shook his head with a small smirk – he should have known he couldn't put one over his partner. Duo smiled back and patted his knee – free and clear permission to go after the littlest redhead. 

Heero nodded and excused himself. Walking over to the door, he looked back but no one was watching him, and he slipped outside. 

The air was cool but not overly cold. It was a little more overcast then it had been when they'd first arrived, an obvious cold front moving in, letting the sun peek through filmy clouds. Gazing across the yard, he spotted the familiar figure perched on the low stonewall that separated the garden from the part of the land he, Ron and the twins had always thrown the gnomes into. There was still a small dent in one of the trees from where _Harry_ had aimed a little too far left with an angry little gnome.

Ginny sensed him coming and raised her head. Heero had almost expected to see tears running down her face but she was dry-eyed, though a little resigned. Suddenly he felt a little uncomfortable. He didn't know exactly why he'd felt the urge to follow her out here, save for a nagging feeling of guilt, though what it was for was something he had quite figured out yet. "Mind if I join you?"

" Of course." She moved a little to the side and Heero took her spot. It was warm from her body heat and he flashed her a hesitant smile. She smiled back, quickly, and then returned her pensive look to the grass.

Heero followed her gaze and chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. It was obvious something was bothering Ginny, and it didn't take a genius to know he was responsible for it. His memories as Harry reminded him of the blushing girl sending him valentines, and rushing out of the room when she was embarrassed. Still, there were gaps in his memories, and the whole period of time surrounding his last confrontation with Voldemort was a big blur to him. Surely someone would have mentioned something to him if he and her…

Before he could act on that thought, Ginny spoke up. " It's good to see you again, Heero." She stressed his new name.

" It's good to be back," he replied slowly. He turned his head to look at her face and saw her staring up the sky, squinting a bit at the light. " I have the feeling," he began." That I've hurt you, but I don't remember how."

______________________________________________________

The words were said quietly, but they seemed as loud as though he'd shouted them. Ginny shot him a quick look, assessing him. Heero wasn't looking at her anymore –rather, he was looking inward, a slightly confused look on his face. It was odd, seeing such a familiar Harry expression on those alien features. 

Ginny may have been the youngest Weasely in her household, but she was by no means a baby. She was a fifth year, maturing as all young girls eventually do, and her childish crush on Harry had grown in its intensity. 

All her life she had heard of the wondrous Boy-Who-Lived. Meeting him in her home had been the first time she'd ever met someone who was a celebrity. And Harry had been so nice, so polite, not like her tricky older brothers who treated her like a baby most of the time. Then in her second year, Harry had been the one who had rescued her, facing down a living memory of Voldemort and a giant snake to save her life. Her infatuation had grown.

When Harry had disappeared six, almost seven weeks ago, she had thought that she would never see him again. That her chance with him was gone and that she would always have that 'what if' in her mind. It had hurt. She knew that Ron, Hermione and her whole family was hurting, that they had more of a 'right' to then she did, but it still hurt not knowing what might have been.

When Ron had told her what the Headmaster and the professors, along with a newly freed Sirius and Remus, were planning, what they had discovered – the idea that Harry might still be alive – Ginny had scarcely dared to hope. Then came word that Harry had been found – in the future. That they would bring him home. Then her mother came to speak to her.

Her mother took her aside and told her the information that Remus Lupin had given her. Ginny was shocked to learn that while Harry had been only gone six weeks to them, in reality, he had grown up all over again in the future and now had two lives worth of memories in one head. Even bigger was the shock that Harry had been reborn into a different body, and that he'd had a harder life then he'd had previously, even if the details on that were rather obscure. 

The final shock was learning that Harry – now known as Heero – was in a relationship. With another boy.

Ginny didn't know what to say about that. Her mother had raised her to be an open-minded person. Prejudice had no place in her mother's house. The fact that Harry/Heero was gay bothered her more because until he had disappeared, she had been certain Harry was heterosexual. Cho Chang, the Patil twins, Fleur Delacour – had she simply been making a fool of herself?

Seeing Harry again had been bittersweet. She had spent the night with silent tears dripping down her face, thinking over the changes she would encounter in the boy who had come to mean so much to her over the years. Anger over him loving another boy, warred with joy that came with knowing he was coming home, alive and well. Then there was guilt – after all, she and Harry had never been an official couple. Harry had no loyalties to her other then what he did with her entire family.

She spoke slowly, still looking at him. " You did," she whispered. " But it's not your fault."

Heero turned from the sky to her. " Really." It wasn't a question, but a word filled with sincere doubt about the truth of her statement.

" Really." Ginny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she gave him that same sad smile again. " It was just a surprise, that's all. Seeing you with that other boy – Duo, right?" Her hands twisted the hem of her baby doll t-shirt. " It just…opened my eyes to a few things."

Heero stared at her, and she noticed the concern in them. " I…remember most of what my life was like before. But the last few weeks before this whole mess happened…a lot of it is still…unsure. A blur." He leaned in a bit, forcing her to meet his eyes. The seriousness there startled her. Harry had never been the forceful type, unless it was in a battle for his life, or the life of his friends. " Were we…"

" No," she said quickly, shaking her head. A choked laugh escaped her and she looked away. " No, we weren't together like that." She glanced back, a faint blush staining her cheeks. " Though I would have liked to be."

" Ah." Heero sat back a bit. Apparently that seemed to fit in with what he remembered, she thought, noting the faint hint of relief on his face. She wasn't hurt by it – she knew it was more of him worrying if he was two-timing her. That she could believe – in her experience, Harry was considerate. 

" I had the same silly dreams that all girls have," she continued, still playing with the hem of her shirt. " Dreams and crushes. We were friends – you saved my life – but we were never more then that." She laughed again, softer this time. " It just surprised me, " she repeated.

" That I'm with a boy instead of a girl," Heero said, smiling faintly. " Ron felt the same way."

" Did he?" Ginny laughed. " I can imagine what his reaction was. 'Oh my GOD!'" she pantomimed. Heero laughed.

" You're pretty close," he smiled. They sat there for a few minutes, each lost in thought. Finally, Ginny sighed and drew her knees up, resting her cheek against them. 

" Tell me something?"

" Anything."

" If you hadn't faced Voldemort… if this whole mess hadn't happened…." Ginny turned her head and gazed out at the horizon. " Even if Cho had made a move, if Parvati had tried to keep a hold of you after the Yule Ball…" her eyes turned back to Heero. " If you had stayed here…"

" Ginny?"

" ….do you think I could have been a contender?" Her face was still sad, but her eyes gleamed softly. 

Heero's own eyes softened. The already battered wall that divided Heero from Harry took hit, and Heero let Harry's more gentle personality traits take center stage. Scooting closer, he wrapped one arm around the girl's slender frame, and leaned his forehead against hers. " Cho and the Patils never would have stood a chance."

Ginny choked. Heero drew back from her in alarm, until he realized it wasn't a sob escaping her, but a laugh. Ginny looked up at him, a faint sheen of tears finally evident in them, and she smiled a watery smile.

" Oddly enough, that made me feel a little bit better," she admitted, with another choked laugh. Heero laughed with her, a little quieter, and Ginny leaned against him with a sigh. She fit against him, much like she did with Bill, or any of her older brothers, and she realized to herself that that was a good thing. Heero's arm came around her, protective of his own like always. She smiled again. " Did I just gain another brother?"

A light chuckle came from above her head, and Heero's chest rumbled with the sound. " If you want a used one."

" I do," she said firmly. It was still hard, pushing aside her feelings for Harry, but underneath it all, she could feel contentment. Harry was home. Heero was home. And if she couldn't have him, well, somehow it was easier knowing that she wouldn't have lost out to a girl she knew. She smiled again, and looked up at him. Heero returned the look questioningly. "Tell me about Duo."

_________________________________________________________

Duo looked up from the apple pie slice Molly had set down in front of him and watched Heero and the girl – Ginny, he recalled – walk inside, arm-in-arm both laughing. Across from him, Sirius saw the two enter as well, and glanced back at Duo, expecting to see maybe a flicker of jealousy or something. But all he saw was a smile that lit the braided boy's face, and all of Sirius' words that he had planned to say to explain why Heero would be walking arm-in-arm with a girl died in his throat. There was love in that gaze, love and trust.  He swallowed hard.

Duo saw him looking and grinned suddenly, waving his forkful of apple pie. " Man, have you tried this yet? It's _awesome_!" 

" Yeah, I know." Sirius grinned back, relieved.  Heero and Ginny rejoined the large group at the table. 

Quatre turned from his conversation with the twins and Trowa, and asked Heero a silent question with his eyes. Heero nodded. Quatre smiled, and turned back.

All too soon, the meal was over. Magic took care of the dishes, and Duo and Quatre laughed themselves silly at the sight of the leftovers wrapping themselves in plastic wrap and walking themselves to the icebox. 

Arthur caught his wife's eye and she nodded, smiling. Clapping her hands, the matriarch of the Burrow Weasley's stood up. With their attention firmly in hand, she motioned to the family room.

" Time to decide sleeping accommodations, and plans for the summer," she said. " That includes shopping for school supplies – yes," she nodded at the pilots. " If you're staying here, you may as well attend classes until you leave."

Duo and Heero's faces darkened at the thought of their friends leaving without them. Quatre blinked. 

" Is our money even good here?" he wondered. Heero laughed.

" Don't worry Quatre – over here, I'm probably almost as rich as you are." His smile dimmed a bit. " My parents made good money working as Aurors, and I am the sole beneficiary of the Potter vaults since my dad is dead." He said the words so matter-of-factly that the Weasely's looked concerned, but the pilots simply nodded. Heero tipped his head at Quatre. " You've paid for our safe houses, our expenses and for trips so many times, it's a pleasure to be able to return the favour."

Quatre smiled. " Thank you Heero."

Wufei and Trowa added their thank you's as well. Ron looked over and saw Duo sitting there with a shell-shocked look on his face. " Duo? Mate? You okay?"

Duo blinked – and came to life. " My boyfriend's rich?"

Heero covered his eyes, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

**________________________________________________________**

**End chapter 18**

See? That didn't take as long to get out. ^^ Hope you like it – this ties up the loose 'Ginny-likes-Harry' deal from the book, and hopefully does it in a way that is acceptable for fans. ^^

Feedback please?


	20. Let Sleeping Pilots Lie

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes: **The scene near the end of this chapter is dedicated to Rachel Silver Moon who said she wanted to see the GW-boys react to something unexpected. ^^

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Chapter 19 (28 February 2003) 

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Molly Weasely hummed to herself as she moved through her kitchen, her moves as familiar as a choreographed routine, brought on by years of identical mornings. In her arms, she carried a self-mixing bowl of pancake batter as she used her wand to heat up a frying pan on the stove. Two other pans were already busily frying bacon and scrambling eggs automatically, and she checked their progress with a practised eye. Noting that nothing as of yet was burning, she turned her attention to the last pan and murmured a few words. The batter transferred to the skillet in small, perfectly-shaped circles and immediately began to brown on one side.

The tea kettle let out a shrill clamour for her attention, and she poured herself a cup of herbal, adding a bit of lemon and honey as she always did, sitting down at the table to relax for a minute, for a minute was all she had. Very shortly, thumps and various noises would begin to emerge from upstairs, and she fully expected Charley or Bill downstairs first. The twins usually had to be forcibly pried out of bed, and Ron liked to lie about after waking up, reading a comic book or just 'resting his eyes' he called it, before getting up for the day. Hermione likely was already up, probably browsing one of her textbooks while waiting for Ginny to wake up. Hermione had learned very quickly to ally herself with the other females in the household if she wanted to avoid half of the pranks Fred and George attempted on them at any given time.

Then there were their guests who had arrived yesterday. Molly wasn't entirely sure what to expect yet. Harry had been a light sleeper, brought on by years of having to wake up early for that horrible family of his, but she had no idea about _Heero's sleeping habits. And as for the others…_

Molly sighed. She had no regrets about agreeing to take the boys in until the term started. It was the least she could do. Still, there was something about them that unnerved her a bit. It wasn't a hallucination, for if it was, then Charley, Bill and Arthur were suffering from the same affliction. The older _adults_ of the family had stayed up later then the rest, discussing everything that had gone on during the day. None of them felt that the boys presented any kind of a threat – they trusted Harry implicitly, and his friends by way of that trust – yet there was a definite edge about them.

'They wouldn't harm us, but they're dangerous mum,' Charley said quietly. Bill had nodded his head in agreement. 'They remind of the wild dragons that get brought to the Institute when they're injured. They know we're helping them, and they submit to medical tests and treatment – but their eyes are wary, always looking for a threat. Dangerous eyes. Wild eyes. You can see it in these boys.'

Molly wasn't going to argue with that. Not only had she seen the same thing, but Charley's gut-instincts weren't something to ignore. Charley had honed his ability to sense danger to near perfection, which had saved his life many times in his fairly young career. A career that would have been cut short without those instincts.

 The bacon was nearly finished. Molly drained the last of her tea and set the cup in the sink. Another swish of the wand saw the pancakes flipping themselves, and the bacon piling up neatly on a plate that was patiently hovering next to the frying pan. The scrambled eggs went into a large ceramic bowl on the kitchen table and she whispered a warming charm on everything. Tell-tale signs of life were stirring above her head, and she refilled the kettle, knowing Charley and Bill would want their morning coffee. The two had been addicted to the beverage ever since the day years ago when Arthur had brought home a packet of the stuff that had been confiscated at a wizard's home, and the senior Weasely had made it a habit to buy it regularly from one of the muggle-born staff members from the office.

The plates flew from the cupboard to the table, setting itself nicely. She knew the correct number of plates was there, but she automatically counted them against the mental tally in her head anyway. She sighed wistfully as she acknowledged skipping Percy's place at the table. Even after watching her two oldest move out, it never became easier for her to watch another of her flock leave the nest, and Percy moving out nearly six months before had made her sniffle around the house for weeks, even though her son had made trips home on a regular basis to reassure her he 'wasn't trying to get away from you mother!'

She would have set a place anyway, knowing sometimes Percy stopped by in the morning and went with Arthur to the office, but Percy had been sent on a special business trip the week before, and wasn't due back for several more days. She turned back to the counter and picked up a large platter of toast. Turning back around, she let out a sharp cry of surprise, nearly dropping the whole thing.

Heero stood at the doorway, a slight smile on his face. "Good morning, Mrs Weasely," he said quietly. His eyes met hers steadily, dark blue that seemed almost alien but as he moved forwards, the light from the small window above the sink fell across his face, and for a second, she could see green flecks. She noted the fitted-jeans and the blue tunic-style sweater he wore – extremely different from the hand-me-downs from Dudley he used to wear.

"Good morning Harry," she returned after a minute. Then her eyes widened. "Or is it Heero?"

"You can call me whichever you like," Heero said politely. "I think that would be easiest for everyone, especially when classes resume in a few weeks."

"But you're more comfortable with Heero, aren't you?" she pressed. He shrugged. Molly smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. For a second, she thought he wasn't going to let her – his muscles tensed as her hand came closer. Then he let out a breath and actually tilted his head towards her. A suspicious lump appeared in her throat as she ruffled the familiar, messy locks of hair, and she directed him to sit at the table, setting the platter down at the head. 

He moved silently, almost gliding to the table with a graceful fluidity he had not had – before. He hesitated at the table for a second, and then a light dawned on his face, and he took his old seat, a small smirk surfacing. The tea kettle screamed again and she reached for it, glancing over her shoulder. "Tea, dear?"  Harry had never liked tea much…

 "Yes please." Molly set the cup in front of him and moved back to the counter to refill it a second cup. Charley entered the kitchen, a pair of faded jeans adorning his long legs, and wearing a grey sleeveless t-shirt with a ripped collar. He greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek, accepting the cup in return, and he took a sip, letting his eyes fall on Heero who nodded at him.

"Good morning."

Charley grinned and plunked down across from him. "'Mornin' kid. Sleep well?"

"I did." Heero was much more reserved this morning then he had been the night before. Charley frowned. Perhaps a few hours of sleep had allowed him to 'stabilize' himself a bit. Remus had mentioned something about Harry having to reconcile two personalities. From what he'd seen yesterday, Heero was remarkably like Harry, albeit a little quieter, much more serious.

Then again, Charley would be the first to admit that he didn't know much more about Harry then he did Heero. All of his correspondence with the saviour of England had primarily been through his younger brothers, and while he treated Harry as an extension of his own family, he was the last person to offer an opinion on whether or not he had changed significantly, other then appearance-wise. 

The arrival of Bill, clad in a similar pair of jeans but wearing what muggles called a black wife-beater, interrupted his thoughts, and he watched his older brother greet their mother in much the same way he had. Their father was already gone for work no doubt, and Charley knew the next ones down would be Hermione and Ginny. 

"Smells good," Bill breathed in the scent of breakfast and turned a hopeful eye on his mother. Molly laughed and nodded, clear consent for Bill to grab the ladle from the bowl of eggs. Charley leaned over to snatch the tray of bacon. Heero glanced up and down the table at the mass amounts of food, and selected a single piece of toast to nibble on. 

After a few seconds he became aware of Bill and Charley watching him with puzzled expressions. "What?"

"That toast isn't even buttered," Charley said, pointing at the piece of bread Heero held with a grimace. "How can you eat it plain?"

Heero blinked. "Taste is irrelevant. It's a matter of fuel consumption. This is adequate."

It wasn't until the words left his mouth that Heero remembered that as Harry, he had been famous for slathering mass amounts of butter and jelly on his toast. Years of being forbidden to add anything excessive at his aunt's table had been discarded when Molly had first told him to take as much as he wanted and to hell with his aunt's rules. The words he had just spoken had been precisely what he had used to tell Duo each time the braided pilot had objected to his eating habits.

Several hours of sleep had soothed his frazzled nerves, the shock that had been brought on by having to meet the entire Weasely clan all over again, gone. _Harry_ was still there, but Heero's control was back in place for the moment. Blinking again, he set the toast slice down, his appetite suddenly diminished. 

"Leave him alone," Molly rebuked her sons, smacking Charley on the shoulder lightly. "If he wants it plain, who are we to comment, Mr-I-Need-Ketchup-On-My-Macaroni-Salad?"

" Oh, that's disgusting," came a female voice from the kitchen doorway. Hermione, frizzy hair and all, wrinkled her nose at Charley who grinned and waved at her cheerfully. "Some things were just not meant to be mixed."

"You've never noticed that? He does the same thing at every picnic," yawned Ginny, who tailed in behind her, dressed like Hermione in slacks and a tee-shirt. She spotted Heero and her eyes sparkled. That sad look would always be there, far at the back of her every gaze, but there was an acceptance visible in her green-hazel eyes that lessened the impact. "Good morning Heero."

"Ginny," he returned quietly. The two girls seated themselves on either side of Charley and Bill, reaching for the food. 

Footsteps clattered noisily down the stairs and Duo poked a dishevelled head around the frame. "Food!"

"Very good Duo," Heero said dryly. "Recognition of familiar objects is always a positive sign in lost cases."

Duo grinned and sidled up next to his partner. "Morning!" he chirped, leaning over to kiss Heero on the cheek. Heero accepted it as casually as he did everything else, but his heart beat just a little bit faster as his senses registered his lover's close presence. 

Out of respect for the family he considered his own, he and Duo had used separate sleeping bags that night, though they had been pushed together. Heero found it hard to sleep without Duo within arm's reach, and the American seemed to share the same affliction. 

Heero suddenly remembered their audience and glanced sharply upward to see Bill and Charley ignoring their public display of affection in favour of fighting for what appeared to be the biggest piece of bacon left in the skillet. Hermione already had her nose stuck in a textbook, one hand mechanically lifting a toast slice to and from her mouth. It was good to see some things never seemed to change. Heero then looked at Ginny who was watching the two of them with resigned amusement.

"Some of us are trying to eat, you know," she smiled. Duo nodded enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together.

"I hear that," he agreed. He reached for the stack of pancakes and lifted five or six with the spatula. He scooped a generous knife-full of butter and smeared it liberally into the pancakes and then drowned the whole plate in syrup before taking aim with his fork.

Ginny and Hermione watched wide-eyed as the tower of pancakes was expertly drawn and quartered by a butter knife, before disappearing in mere moments. Duo licked his lips and glanced eagerly at Molly. "May I have some more?"

"Go ahead dear," Molly said with a smile, watching as another stack made its way to Duo's plate.

Heero shook his head and stole one from Duo's stack, already covered in syrup. Duo didn't even blink as he demolished another stack in seconds. 

Ginny glanced at Hermione. "And I thought my brothers were fast eaters," she whispered.

Charley chuckled. "Look's like Duo's got us all beat."

Duo paused in his snarf-fest. His cheeks burned red. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I'm used to eating fast."

"Did you have brothers who took all of the good pieces first too?" Hermione asked, chuckling. Duo dropped his gaze.

"Not exactly," he said quietly. "I'm sorry – I'll slow down."

Heero reached over and gently touched Duo's back. Part of him wanted to get angry at the sight of his cheerful lover upset, but this was just something else they would have to adjust to, and get used to. After all, how did one explain that when you lived on the streets all your life, you had to eat fast before whatever meagre portion you had was stolen by someone faster? That eating as much as you could when food was available was a result of having been starved for most of your life? Instead of voicing this however, Heero simply rubbed his partner's back. It was Duo's story to tell if he chose, not his. 

Bill chuckled, breaking the tension. "I don't mind Duo – it takes their minds off me when I eat."

Ginny smiled, recognizing Bill's diffusing tactics. "That's because you don't eat – you inhale."

Bill shrugged good-naturedly. "Same difference."

Duo smiled and returned to his food, though his pace was a little slower then before. Heero took some bacon for himself and dumped the remainder of the eggs on Duo's plate. Molly took the empty bowl back to the counter for a refill.

The tension had all but disappeared when suddenly an explosion went off in the corner of the room.

If you had asked Molly Weasely to recall precisely what had happened, all she could say was one moment she had been returning the newly-filled dish to the table when she had been tackled to the floor.

As soon as the first flash of light and snap-crackle sounds like gunfire had echoed in the enclosed room, Heero had been on the move. Finely honed reflexes worked in synch, reacting as perfectly as a choreographed ballet dancer. One minute he had been sitting at the table; the next, he was on one knee on the floor, a gun in his hand. Light gleamed silver off the muzzle, eyes trained unflinchingly at the direction the noise was coming from.

Even as he had been moving, he was keenly aware of his partner's own movements, and he knew Duo had tipped the table over to provide cover for both himself and the 'civilian's', and had taken Molly down, the only one who had been standing when the sounds of gunfire had broken out. Hermione and Ginny had cried out initially when the noise went off, but were now huddled beneath the cover of the wooden table, frozen. Bill and Charley were too surprised to do anything but sit still, their eyes on the weapons bith he and Duo held in their hands.

Heero's eyes scanned the room, taking in everything at once, analyzing and recording it in his memory with one hundred percent accuracy. Nothing.

"Status, 01?" Duo called sharply. Heero saw a flash of movement and swerved to the side, aiming his firearm into the living room. He saw a flicker of red hair and suddenly _Harry was battering his way to the surface. He blinked, and suddenly recognized the Weasely twins own version of firecrackers lying in a burnt heap in the corner. He stood up, flicking the safety on with his thumb and jamming the weapon back in his pants._

"Negative 02," he said automatically, still staring at the firecrackers. His ears registered the faint click of Duo putting his own safety on, and then the American was beside him. "Firecrackers?"

"You're _shitting_ me," Duo growled. "I'm having a god-damned heart attack over _firecrackers?"_

Heero ignored him and moved smoothly to the living room where he found a pale-faced George and an ashen-faced Fred crouched on the ground, staring up at him with wide eyes. For a minute, no one spoke. Then Heero cursed, and strode past them to the front door. Flinging it open, he leaned out.

"False alarm Trowa."

  
Stepping back inside, the Weasely's plus Hermione watched in surprise as Trowa Barton strolled in the front door, his face implacable. Duo muttered something under his breath and turned to help Mrs Weasely off the floor. Bill stood and waved his wand at the table, and what remained of breakfast, returning it to its proper upright position. 

Hermione was still pale, her hands shaking, but she looked back and forth from Trowa to Heero. "How did you know he was outside?" 

"And what was he doing outside?" Ginny asked tentatively, re-taking her seat. Fred and George still hadn't moved.

"Standard procedure," Duo said coolly. "You hear what sounds like a gunfight below you, the last thing you do is head for the stairs to join in. You'd be shot before you cleared the door. And Trowa's the only one who likes jumping out of second and third story windows." He looked up and raised his voice. "Which means Quatre and Wufei can come out now."

The Weasely's turned to see the small blonde and the solemn Chinese boy melt away from the walls where they'd apparently hidden. Wufei had his sword out, which Charley looked at with interest, before the Chinese boy put it back in its sheath at his hip. Wufei gave a cool stare to the frozen twins. "Firecrackers?"

Heero shrugged. "Didn't sound like it."

Wufei cracked a small smile. "You mistook firecrackers for gunfire?"

Duo chuckled. "He's never gonna let you live that down." 

"Or you either," Wufei shot back at him. Duo stuck out his tongue.

Molly sat down hard at the head of the table, her eyes still darting back and forth. She had expected some things to be different. Still, nothing Remus had told her had prepared her for this. 

Such quick, brutal reactions. There was no doubt in her mind that had there been an actual intruder in her home, Heero and Duo would have fired. Her eyes travelled over to Trowa and she shuddered at the thought of him jumping out of the second floor window. And that sweet little Quatre with a gun….

"Mrs Weasely?" Duo was peering at her worriedly, perhaps wondering if he'd knocked her down too hard. Then it hit her. Duo had taken her down instinctively, protecting her and her children as best he could without thinking twice about it. Heero had too. All of them had. Never mind that the threat hadn't been a real one – they hadn't known that at the time. Her heart melted. 

"Duo?" she said quietly. Duo materialized in front of her so quickly, he seemed to have apparated.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to hear that language from you in this house ever again." She smiled at him. Duo blinked – and then grinned sheepishly, making her marvel at how quickly and smoothly the transition from hardened warrior to young teenager was made.

"Sorry."

"That's okay." She turned to see her trouble-making twins still frozen in the living room. She knew that they had never had a reaction to one of their jokes quite like that. The scared look on their faces was punishment enough.

"Mind that doesn't happen again, right Fred? George?" she said seriously.

The twins nodded furiously.

Another noise came from the hallway, and Ron stumbled in, yawning and scratching his ribs. Behind him trotted Sirius, whose eyes seemed to still be closed. Ron stopped, taking in the serious looks on everyone's faces, and his own expression was one of complete innocence.

"What'd we miss?"

**_____________________________________________________________**

**End Chapter 19**

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Well…I had new pics for Parallel, but I lost them when my pc was reconfigured (see my LJ for the whole sordid affair). So new stuff is going to be some time in coming. *sighs*

Make me feel better. Review. ^_^


	21. Enter Malfoy, Stage Right

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes: **

I *heart* *heart* **_*HEART*  _**Pyaneeiyan ( ) for telling me the name of the pet shop in Diagon Alley. You have her to thank for me finishing the chapter tonight – otherwise I would have had to wait until tomorrow night to get my book back from Kathy and then I would have probably procrastinated until Thursday or Friday to get it done. 

Also, thankies to my chat group – Kit-Kat, Chibs, Tal-Tal, Luna-gal, Hope-chan, Foxy, Anna-chan and Silver-girl – for their constant encouragement (also known as nagging, hounding, weedling, bribing and threatening). You guys are so GOOD at scaring me into working. ^^

**Shameless Plug:**

Anyone interested in getting previews of future chapters of Parallel – as well as previews of other great fics, or even if you want to showcase something of your own – feel free to drop by fic-chat night every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday night, anytime after 8-9pm Eastern. Chat room is located on the main page of my website and newcomers are always welcome, provided you have a sense of humour and little to no common sense. ^^  The chat room got a peek at most of this chapter last Wednesday (or was it Friday?). ^^

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Chapter 20 (25 March 2003) 

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Wufei decided that he liked Diagon Alley. 

Normally he wasn't a fan of large crowds and the incessant noise that came from venders selling their wares, but he found himself warming to the bustling, busy street full of oddities. There were so many things that called out to his scholarly nature.

Flourish and Botts, the strangest and largest bookstore Wufei had ever seen in his life, was one of the main reasons he was becoming so enamoured with the wizarding world. The first time the Weasely's and Harry had taken the pilots there, Wufei had buried himself in the dusty tomes and faded manuscripts, soaking up the knowledge contained therein like a drowning man devouring a glass of water. Hermione had been ecstatic that there was finally someone who properly appreciated her favourite shop, and wasted no time in joining him, leaving Ron to whine dramatically to Heero and Duo that 'Now, there's TWO of them!'

That day had simply been an exercise in getting the pilots used to the wizard community, suggested by Heero who had been begged for such an excursion by Duo who was getting tired of being cooped up at the Burrow. One could only explore the surrounding terrain so many times before a city boy got cabin fever, and a trip to the Wizard's equivalent of a strip mall was just the solution. 

Today however, they were there to purchase school supplies. Wufei couldn't believe how quickly time had flied. They had spent a good deal of time playing wizard's chess – a game Wufei thoroughly enjoyed – and learning how to fly implements he had once considered to be cleaning utensils. To the amazement of the Weasely's, both he and Trowa both learned how to fly, the brooms responding to the magic within themselves enough to allow them to know the joy of flying the sky, unaided by their Gundams. 

Duo adored flying and the instant he had done his first solo flight, the pilots knew that they had lost him. Every day since then, Molly had had nearly five heart attacks from watching Duo trying to perform stunt after stunt. After an incident where Duo had tried to ride his broomstick like a surfboard – fifty feet up in the air, mind you – Mrs Weasely had enchanted the surrounding area to slow down any free-falling object, in an effort to save what remained of her nerves.

Trowa was no better, usually dismounting from his broom at least twenty feet up and seeing how many twists he could do before he hit the ground.  Quatre was a little more cautious, preferring to ride the broom the proper way, but even he started challenging Duo, Ron and Heero to speed races once he got the hang of it. Wufei liked flying, but it didn't seem quite natural to him, and usually preferred to stay on the ground with Hermione during these races, flipping through the Hogwarts trio's old textbooks in an effort to familiarize himself with what they would be learning.

No one had asked when he and the other pilots would be returning to their world, and frankly, Wufei hoped no one would. He liked it here in this world – they didn't have the stigma of 'Gundam Pilot' stamped on them, and no one knew of their pasts. Trowa was enjoying it here, Wufei could tell; he had caught the taller pilot with Ginny and Quatre looking through a large book filled with pictures of strange creatures and Trowa seemed to have his heart set on taking the 'Care of Magical Creatures' class Heero had told him about.

Quatre seemed to be enjoying his vacation away from both the Preventers and Winner Corp. The bags that had begun to gather his eyes from handling the daily double doses of stress had begun to disappear, and he looked much like the old Quatre – younger, freer, no longer tied down.

Then there was Duo. Duo absolutely thrived in this environment. Wufei knew the long-haired pilot had been starved for love and affection for most of his life, and the doting tendencies of Molly Weasely had won the stubborn pilot almost instantly. Even Ron and the twins had noticed how much Duo seemed to crave their mother's attention, and he had been encouraged to treat the family as his own. Wufei doubted that Duo would want to leave, even if Heero decided to return to their time. 

Heero. Wufei's eyes narrowed. Heero fit in here, in a way he had never fit in back in their time. The lines between him and _Harry_ blurred so much recently they were nearly indistinguishable. He was happy here, something Wufei knew Heero wasn't back home, except when he was with Duo. Back home, people still expected him to play the part of the Perfect Soldier.

Then again, didn't he have a similar role here? During his weeks of immersing himself in the various texts that littered the Weasely home, Wufei had uncovered much about the Boy-Who-Lived, and knew that Heero would still have a role to play.

Heero had explained about Voldemort to them and bits of his life that he could remember. Wufei had the distinct feeling that Heero was omitting a great deal of information, but he didn't argue with him – there must have been an underlying reason for doing so. But then Heero had told him of the pain he felt in his scar whenever Voldemort made a move against someone, used an Unforgivable, or was just feeling particularly malicious towards him. His scar had hurt back at Hogwarts, that first night they'd returned. That meant Heero's enemy – Harry's enemy – was still out there.

Wufei had no intention of leaving Heero and Duo there with their backs unguarded. He didn't doubt the magical prowess of Ron and Hermione, or the famed Aurors he's read about, but in his mind, that still didn't equal having a fellow Gundam pilot at your back.

No, he would remain there, as would Quatre and Trowa, until the threat was completely eliminated. Then they would deal with their return.

With that final thought, he turned back to the books in front of him, reaching for one he hadn't seen before. As he did so, another hand reached for it at the same time. 

"I believe that's my book," drawled a bored voice. Wufei turned his head towards the speaker, one eyebrow raised.

"Of course," he said mildly, looking the other up and down coolly, assessing. The hand was attached to a slender body clad in dark robes. White blonde hair glinted in the soft lighting of the store, slate-grey eyes glaring at him, daring him to take the book. Wufei snorted and removed his hand, both uncaring of the situation, and unwilling to cause a scene. With a short nod of his head, he reached for a different book and proceeded to ignore the other boy, flipping through the pages, scanning them eagerly.

"I don't know you," the boy stated, still standing there. Wufei shrugged, not lifting his eyes from the page.

"No, I'd imagine you don't."

Wufei expected the boy to leave after being rebuffed. Instead, the boy cocked his head to one side, still looking at him, but the glare had turned into a smirk. His arms folded across his chest, the book he'd taken from Wufei dangling from his fingers.

"My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"Chang, Wufei," Wufei returned. He closed his book with a decisive snap and nodded once at the blonde before moving down the aisle. The blonde followed.

"Chang?" The tone was slightly derisive. "Are you related to Cho Chang?"

Wufei ignored him, selecting yet another book to add to the pile collecting in his arms. Heero had given him and the others money to spend on things for themselves, and he was still well within his limit. Draco tapped his foot.

"Well?"

"I highly doubt I am related to anyone _you would know," Wufei said finally, giving him a dismissive look. "If you don't mind…"_

Before he could finish his sentence, Draco was next to him again, looking at his hip where his sword was strapped.

"Do you even know how to use that?"

"Would you like to personally find out?" Wufei snapped. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"You can't talk to me like that—"

"I would like to not talk to you at all, but you're making that very difficult by not leaving me alone." Wufei glared at him. "I am trying to purchase the texts I will require for this semester at Hogwarts, so if you don't mind—"

"You'll need that one." Draco airily pointed to one of the books in a bin. Wufei followed where he was pointing and then froze. The books were hovering in the air, tethered to little rings at the bins bottom. Small wings fluttered madly from the spine.

"By Nataku…"

"Just grab one of the leashes. The book will calm itself down once you purchase it," Draco said mildly. His eyes were still smirking though. Wufei took a deep breath.

"Thank you," he said perfunctorily. He selected a leash at random, and as promised, the book fluttered to lie calmly on the top of his stack.

"You're welcome."

Wufei permitted a small smile to grace his features, and he watched a look of surprise chase the smirk off Draco's. Intrigued by such a simple gesture receiving such a response, Wufei indicated to the list in his free hand. "And I would obtain these books where?"

A small smile appeared on Draco's face as he leaned in for a closer look.

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Hermione and Ginny exchanged amused smiles as they watched Trowa and Quatre dash from one stall to the next. Actually, it was more Quatre who was doing the pulling, but Trowa was agreeable to anything the blonde wanted to do, and so he let himself be led around like a dog on a leash. 

"_Eye-Shrooms?" Quatre asked a storekeeper incredulously, gingerly touching one of the bulbous eyes perched on a withered mushroom stalk. "This is right out of one of the fairytale books Iria used to read to me."_

Trowa was staring at a handful of plants strung together on the wall that seemed to be devouring each other. "Hmmm…"

"Why didn't you go with Wufei to the bookstore?" Ginny asked Hermione casually, as they tagged along behind the boys. They were under instructions to let the pilots have fun exploring, but to keep an eye on them. Despite seeing first hand just how dangerous they could be, this was still unfamiliar territory for them, and Heero had wanted an escort for each group just to be certain there would be no trouble. Hermione was supposed to have gone with the Chinese boy.

"He said he wanted to explore the bookstore by himself for a bit," Hermione shrugged. "I get the feeling he wanted to spend some time by himself." She gave Ginny a tiny smile." Besides, I get the feeling he doesn't…well, doesn't want a girl with him."

"Don't mind Wufei," Quatre said suddenly, appearing in front of her and Ginny. His blue eyes stared plainly at her, conveying the honest warmth and sincerity she'd come to associate with the blonde. "It's not you, really."

"Really?" Hermione repeated, arching an eyebrow.

"Really. Wufei's more of a loner then the rest of us. He's used to working solo missions all the time, and as for the woman aspect…"Quatre shrugged. "You're right."

"That's not very nice," Ginny said, frowning.

"It's not meant to be a slight." Quatre sighed. "It's not my story to tell, but I don't want you to misunderstand Wufei. He's a great person – he just has issues in his past he's never really dealt with. One of those issues is dealing with the death of his wife."

"WIFE?" Hermione and Ginny goggled. Hermione blinked furiously. "But-but – he's OUR age!"

"He is," Quatre nodded. "His clan still followed the ancient tradition of arranged marriages. His wife and he….they didn't get along very well. Not until she was hurt in battle."

"Oh…" Ginny whispered.

"He would probably kill me for telling you this," Quatre continued, giving them a serious look. "I know you won't tell anyone what I've told you, correct?"

The girls nodded solemnly. Quatre smiled.

"Wufei feels responsible – he should have protected her, but he didn't. He became a warrior for our side in her name to make up for what he thinks was negligence and cowardice on his part, even if it wasn't. He doesn't like females getting close to him, probably because they remind him of his failures."

"He's not a failure," Trowa added softly. "And we don't want you to think him mean or cruel."

"Solitary," Hermione said softly. She smiled. "He'll fit right in with the rest of the angst crowd."

Quatre laughed, and they did too. The sobriety that had set in suddenly lifted, and the earlier light-heartedness came back. Quatre clapped his hands.

"So what's next then?"

___________________________________________________________________

The clerk at the bookstore had been most pleased with the commission he received from Wufei and had repaid the Chinese boy by enchanting a bag to hold everything for him, and then placing a feather light charm on top of it. Wufei gazed down at the deceptive-looking shopping bag with approval. 

Draco smirked. "Easily impressed?"

"More like relieved," Wufei corrected the boy with the barest of glances. For some reason, the blonde had tailed along with him throughout his entire book-selecting expedition and seemed to be in no hurry to leave. Still, Wufei found himself not minding. It was his fault Hermione was not with him to help him with the finer points of getting along in a magic-based community, and clearly Draco had the definite advantage. There was also his keen mind, something Wufei had quickly picked up on, and respected. "I was not looking forward to carrying a two-foot stack of textbooks through the crowds."

Draco cocked his head to one side as they walked through the doors of Flourish and Botts, emerging into the bustling street. "What do you have left to purchase?"

"I am supposed to meet my companions at a pet store of some kind," Wufei said, narrowing his eyes as he thought. "Then to a clothing store to buy robes."

"There's only one pet store in Diagon Alley," Draco said, nodding his head in the store's direction. "Shall I lead you there?"

Wufei shrugged. It would be faster then wandering up and down the absurdly long alley, hoping to get lucky. "After you."

***

The trek to Magical Menagerie was thankfully a short one. Wufei was thankful for his training as a pilot – his well-developed senses alerted him each time he was in danger of being jostled or struck by a wand-waving witch, or wares-peddling wizard, letting him slip through the crowd relatively unscathed. A part of his mind had noticed Draco's apparent ease at slithering through the riotous market with little damage being done to his person, and his estimation of the arrogant blonde went up another notch. 

Draco slowed his pace and waited until Wufei was beside him, pointing ahead to yet another old-fashioned building. This one had the words, **Magical Menagerie**, in antiquated letters on the dilapidated sign, informing Wufei that the business had obviously been there for a very long time. "Here we are."

"We're not the only ones," Wufei observed dryly as he saw a familiar figure plastered up against the window, and headed over.

***

Draco watched curiously as Wufei left his side, walking over to an obviously muggle-born female who all but had her face smushed against the glass. Her hair was incredibly long – nearly three feet or so, he'd wager. A girlfriend perhaps? Relative? Draco was about to ask for an introduction when the _girl_ turned around, revealing herself to be a male. Draco paused, surprised.

"'Fei!" the boy chirped, lunging forward and grabbing Wufei's arm, dragging him over to the window. "Heero said I could pick out a pet to bring with me to Hogwarts! Isn't that cool? I've never had a pet before!"

"I'd imagine you wouldn't have," Wufei said, glaring at the boy's hand still clutching his arm. "It would have been difficult to keep a fish tank anchored properly in Deathscythe."

The boy stuck out his tongue and turned back to the window. Draco cleared his throat.

"Excuse me Draco," Wufei said, glancing at him. "This is Duo Maxwell. Maxwell, prove to me that Quatre was able to hammer _some manners into you and say hello."_

Duo turned back around, a roguish smile in place. Draco noted with a start that the boy's eyes appeared to be violet. He reached out and shook his hand.

"Draco Malfoy."

Duo's eyes narrowed a bit. "Malfoy…name sounds familiar." He shrugged. "Oh well. FEI!"

Wufei started as Duo shouted his name. "WHAT, Maxwell?"

"Come on! I have to pick out a pet!" Duo glanced back at Draco. "You too! Anyone who can put up with Wufei makes a friend in my eyes – it means you'll have the patience to put up with me!"

"You're assuming _I do?" Wufei growled, as he allowed himself to be tugged into the pet shop._

Draco was amused by the display. Wufei had struck him as the no-nonsense type, and his willingness to accept Draco's help in the bookstore despite his obvious desire to be alone showed that he was a sensible individual. Intelligent too, as their brief chats during the book selection had proven.

The other one though…Wufei did _not strike him as the type to hang around with the bouncy boy. Within seconds, Draco had noticed their very different attitudes, and he wondered what would make two such complete opposites friends? It was puzzling – and Draco dearly loved solving puzzles. He allowed a brief smile to surface as he followed the two into the store._

The smell of the store always reminded Draco of the stables at Malfoy Manor. Despite the No-Odour charms employed, there was still a distinct animal smell, strong and musty, that couldn't be hid. The light was a bit dimmer inside, and he blinked, letting his eyes adjust. He picked out Duo and Wufei standing by a stack of cages, peering into each one.

Rather, he allowed, Duo was peering into each cage. Wufei was standing behind him, arms crossed and an impatient expression on his face. 

"I don't see why Heero felt it was necessary for us to get pets," he was saying as Draco drew near. "He has a perfectly good owl. What more is required?"

"I assume this means we won't be picking out Wufei Junior from these cages?" Draco asked innocently, eyes dancing with laughter. Wufei scowled at him, but Duo grinned.

"Guess not. And besides, I happen to _want a pet." He looked over his shoulder at them. "Draco, you're a wizard. What makes a good pet?"_

"Anything that suits your fancy," Draco said, shrugging. "Though I assume you'll be going to Hogwarts, the same as Wufei?"

Duo nodded.

"Then your choices are somewhat limited. A toad, an owl or a cat is the standard pet allowed at the school."

"Heero said Ron had a rat," Duo said offhand. "They made an exception once before, they can do it again."

"Thinking highly of yourself again, Maxwell?"

Draco froze as his ears registered the name _Ron._ "Are you referring to Ron _Weasely?"_

"Uh-huh." Duo crouched, his attention back on the cages. "Strange looking cats, these guys are…"

"They're Kneasels," Draco said automatically. "You're…_friends_ with Weasely?"

"Yeah, I guess." Duo wrinkled his nose at the musty smell coming from the cages and stood up, moving down the corridor. "Though he and 'Mione are Heero's friends really. They know each other, but me, Fei and the others just met 'em."

"Others?" Draco found himself intensely curious now.

"Yeah," Duo said casually. "There's me, Fei, Quatre and Trowa, as well as Heero." He glanced at Draco. "You could say the wizarding world was sprung on us."

"But you're my age," Draco objected. "Where were you before now? I assumed you were transfer students or something."

"Nope."

Wufei cleared his throat and Duo's eyes darted towards him for a split second before turning back to Draco. "So you go to Hogwart's too, huh?"

"I do."

"Then you must know Heero," Duo grinned. "He went there too."

Draco narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. "I don't know anyone named Heero."

Duo grinned. "That's 'cause his other name is—"

"Duo?"

"Speak of the devil!" Duo spun around and loped past Draco and Wufei. Draco's eyes widened until he was sure they were going to pop out of his head. He _knew_ that voice. He turned around and saw Duo launch himself at a messy-haired boy Draco knew very well indeed.

"**_POTTER?"_**

"**_MALFOY?_**" Harry's voice sounded almost as shocked as his. Was that really Potter? It sounded like him but he looked….different. And he was…._cuddling another boy?_

Duo glanced from one shocked face to the other. "Oh good," he said, still smiling. "You DO know each other!"

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**End Chapter 20**

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o.0;

I'm in trouble, aren't I? *snickers and dashes away*

Want more? Then TELL ME! ^__^ Feedback is considered very cool in the wizarding world. You don't want to be behind the times, now do you?


	22. Just Can't Take Those Gundam Pilots Anyw...

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes: **

**Note for Diva Elf and Kyra: **

Sorry hon – your email wasn't working! I'm glad you're enjoying Parallel! I know *technically* there are two pet stores - but the Owl Emporium is just for owls, which are more working birds/pets then anything else. That would be like going to buy a trained police guard dog at a specialty breeder, NOT a pet store. ^^

The Magical Menagerie is an actual pet store, where kids can go get their familiars, or even just a plain ol' pet to cuddle, and that's why I did it like that. ^^ Sorry for the confusion.

And Kyra? ^^ Thanks for pointing out 'flied', even though a part of me had wanted to use the word 'flewed'. ^_^ Yeah I know – I make no sense. ^^

For future reference guys – yes I have seen the entire GW series and the Endless Waltz movie 3 times. Yes I own and have read, all of the Harry Potter books. I'm aware of the fine details – I just choose to either omit, or change things to suit the fic. So please –don't start getting picky on me about the finer details. I appreciate the help but I already know the answers. Thanks a lot. ^_~

**Additionally**, it's been pointed out to me that using the spelling 'Heero' is incorrect and that it should be 'Hiiro'. Actually, I prefer the English spelling and consider 'Heero' to be proper – considering I've seen the show subtitled that way, and spelled that way on the box for the dubs. When I learn to write in Japanese, that's when I'll use the Japanese spelling.

**And finally**, I know that at the beginning of the fic, I mixed up parts of the series with the OAV (GW). This was done part accidentally, and part on purpose – it's been a while since I've seen the whole thing, plus I wanted the history to go in a certain direction that would make the fic easy to follow after. My apologies to the continuity purists (^^) but since this is obviously an AU fic, we can ignore minor discrepancies, right? ^^

Beware of military jargon scattered throughout the fic whenever it's Heero's POV – he just can't help thinking in military terms. If it gets to be too much, and too pointed, let me know.

**Special thanks** to everyone who has reviewed – every time I get a review, I get inspired to write more of Parallel – which is really bad if I read my reviews at school and then can't get to my word processor. It's sad that my prof's think I'm taking copious notes when I'm actually scribbling down plot ideas. 

**Blatant plug** – just a little FYI – the bulk of this fic was finished on Sunday and was presented to the Sunday chat-fic night group. Anyone who wants previews to fics, or wants to participate in our fic-adlib sessions (no, not MADlibs), check out my livejournal for information, or swing by the chat room on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday nights after 9pm Eastern. Three rules though – leave your common sense behind, prepare to engage in silliness, absolutely NO name-calling or fighting, and have a good sense of humour. Ooops, that was four. Silly me. ^^

**Extra special hugs and thanks to my Luna-chan who is the best soundboard a fic-writer could ever have!**

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Chapter 21 (9 April 2003) 

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Heero left Gringotts Bank with an indescribable expression on his face. Behind him, Sirius and Ron followed closely, faces pale as was usual after yet another hair-raising ride through the Gringotts underground.

"I still maintain that they should have airsick bags on those things," Sirius moaned, one arm clutching his stomach. "I'm getting too old for this."

Heero raised an eyebrow in Sirius's direction. "I never once thought I'd hear you say that."

"And you never will again," Sirius promised solemnly. He pulled the cloak he'd borrowed from Remus more snugly around his head and shoulders. He was still a bit paranoid about strangers seeing who he really was. "Mark this day down on your calendars boys, 'cause those words will never again pass my lips." He glared at the two boys. "And neither of you will tell Moony I said that."

"I find it amusing that _you're threatening __me," Heero commented mildly. "You almost sounded like you meant it. Do you know how few people can do that?"  He suppressed a small laugh at the mutinous look on his godfather's face._

His godfather. Heero shook his head as they headed back towards Magical Menagerie where they'd left an enthralled Duo staring at the dancing toads in the display window. It was still hard to believe he had a godfather. Any family at all for that matter. 

That summer had been the best one he could remember. His memories of Molly and the Weasely's, powerful as they were when he got them back, paled in comparison to real life. Heero had no doubt in his mind that had Lily and James Potter survived, they would be just like the Arthur and Molly.

It was odd though. Part of him wanted to sink into the family lifestyle whole-heartedly, as he knew he must have done once. The other part of him was still hesitant, wary of relaxing and too world-wise to let his guard down completely. Ron once made the comment that Duo had totally relaxed into their home, but Heero knew better. Duo and the other pilots were on alert just as much as he was. They were just better at hiding it.

Other then the Weasely clan, Hermione, Sirius, and the occasional visit from Dumbledore and Remus, they hadn't seen anyone else all summer. The Wizarding World hadn't even been informed that he was back, and Heero thanked his lucky Gundams that he had changed too much in appearance to immediately alert the populace to his return. A baseball cap from Sirius provided enough cover over his forehead.

Still, that didn't mean the summer had passed aimlessly. The few weeks they had been at the Weasely's had been busy in other ways. Heero reached up automatically to rub his scar, an unconscious habit he had immediately picked back up.

His scar had hurt several times – nothing as painful as the first night he'd returned, but enough to know Voldemort was stirring somewhere. Severus Snape had been summoned to several Death Eater meetings, but was unable to discover just where Voldemort was hiding. Meetings were held in various locales, with Lucious Malfoy heading the whole thing. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen, but proof of his return and of his faith in Malfoy lay in the ancient staff Lucious brought to the meetings, a gift from the Dark Lord himself. Heero knew most of this from Snape, but he had the feeling the dreams he used to have had returned. They just didn't seem to affect him as much anymore.

Duo proclaimed it was because he'd seen so much more in term so of blood, torture and death in his second life, that the nightmares from his first seemed rather tame. Heero was willing to accept that explanation, and was simply happy that this meant he wouldn't wake up the household with his screaming every night.

Duo had smirked when he'd said that. Heero remembered his words with a blush. "_Not from pain or terror at any rate_…"

Speaking of which, it was time to get back to his partner. Sirius fell back into step with him, still uncomfortable about letting his godson out of his sight for long, letting Ron take point. The redhead confidently made his way through the jostling crowds, leaving them to part the way like the red sea for Heero and Sirius. 

_That_ was actually the hardest part of returning to Diagon Alley. It wasn't the magic, the strangeness or the weirdness – it was the sheer number of people. The assassin in Heero itched to get back under cover – walking down the middle of the street was suicide at best in the future. 

He could feel the cool metal of his gun, tucked as always into the waistband of his Preventer-style cargos. He refused to wear the old, over-sized slacks Ron had found crumpled in a corner of his room, leftover from one of his summers spent at the Weasely's. Duo and Quatre had taken one look at the pants that could have doubled as a parachute and immediately asked if he'd lost an ungodly amount of weight. Heero had sidestepped the question at the time but he knew that would only work for so long. Eventually he would have to tell them about the Dursley's. 

Besides, his work clothes gave him a measure of protection. They were easy to move around in. They reminded him of his most recent life in this strange place, reminding what happened when you gave into complacency. 

That and the fact that his gun fit perfectly into the back.

Sirius knew about the gun – his canine sense had sniffed out the scent of gunpowder and metal as soon as he'd entered the room that fateful first morning at Molly's, and he knew from the pictures he'd seen at Heero and Duo's apartment that all of the pilots were carrying more concealed weapons then the most highly trained Auror. He didn't have to like it, but Heero was grateful that he left it alone for the time being.

That itching feeling was spreading. He _hated being so open – even during his stint with the Preventers, Lady Une had allowed them to skip out on the ceremonies and the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the community, letting them do the background work where they could do the observing rather then be the ones observed. _

If anyone had wondered why the boys were so paranoid about being shot in the back, they chalked it up to the intense training they'd had since their formative years. Having _"Keep your cover at all time!" drilled into you at an impressionable age had its way of leaving a mark. Unconsciously, Heero's trigger finger twitched._

Ron steered them around a loud witch and wizard couple who were arguing with a potions vendor about the abnormal cost of a simple healing elixir for arthritis pain. The large antiquated Magical Menagerie sign loomed just ahead of them. Heero noted the absence of Duo from the window and concluded the boy must have gone indoors. He would have liked to take Duo on the ride through the underground caverns again, but they'd done that their first time in Diagon Alley, and Duo was more entranced by the strange animals in the window. 

'_Besides_,' he'd said, smirking. '_Deathscythe gives a more impressive ride when I let 'er rip!_'

 Shaking his head in amusement, Heero absently strolled past Ron and Sirius into the pet store. He froze.

That drawling voice, that familiar blonde hair – Heero paused on the threshold of the pet store and felt his eyebrows raise. 

Duo was crouched in front of a row of cages containing Kneasels, and behind him stood Wufei and-

"**_MALFOY?_"**

The blonde head snapped up, turning to pin a familiar grey-eyed gaze on him.

"**_POTTER?_"**

Heero was only semi-aware of Duo's arms threading around his waist, saying something, but he was unable to understand the words through the roaring in his ears as another flood of memories rushed through him.

A pointed face staring in the window as they watched the birth of a baby Ridgeback. Three boys, two following their pale-faced ringleader as they dressed in black swooping masked robes and a scream of, "_Expacto Patronus_!" as they fell away…

His eyes narrowed as he returned to his senses and his ice-blue eyes drilled a hole into the suddenly familiar figure before him.

"Malfoy…"

___________________________________________________________

Duo felt his partner's muscles tense and he pulled back, looking at Heero in concern. The Japanese boy was staring at Draco with the sort of intensity Duo had assigned to mission assignments, his fingers clutching Duo's braid tightly, cobalt blue lasers highlighting Wufei's friend in their sights.

Darting a glance back towards the blonde, he reached up and cupped Heero's chin in his hand, turning that stubborn gaze back towards him. It was like trying to manipulate solid granite but finally, Heero's eyes focussed on his. 

"Duo?"

"Yeah. Me Duo, you Heero." He tilted his head towards the blonde. "Him, Draco. Bad?"

Heero blinked, momentarily derailed. Duo hid a smile at his success in sidetracking. "What?"

Sighing, Duo patted his cheek before turning around to face Draco. This was interesting. He didn't know the blonde boy, but he'd arrived with Wufei, and Wufei seemed to find him an acceptable person to hang with. Wufei's judgement carried a lot of weight with Duo. 

On the other hand, Heero going into serious soldier mode meant not-so-good things. He noted that Wufei had seemed to realize this himself, for he stepped back, aligning himself with Heero and Duo automatically, his sword drawn. New friend or no, there was a lot to be said for comrades-in-arms. 

The boy – Draco, Duo recalled – was still frozen after his initial outburst, watching as they seemed to line up like soldiers at a firing squad. Duo was about to find out what the deal was when Sirius and Ron burst through the doors of the pet store.

"Heero stop!" Ron yelped. His face was white and he was flapping his arms frantically, his ill-fitting robes flapping like outspread wings.

"Don't kill him!" Sirius added quickly. They pulled up short as they took in the harsh stances of the four. "Oh good – he's still alive."

"Sort of good," Ron muttered, shooting a glare at Draco. Whatever he had feared, seeing Draco alive and apparently unharmed had relieved him. Still, there was definite tension there.

Duo sighed and put his fingers to his lips, blowing once, sharply. The high pitched whistle had its desired effect, and everyone's gaze suddenly focused on him.  

"Okay." He grinned disarmingly at Draco. "Well, this doesn't look good, I have to admit. You know Heero, he knows you, Ron and Sirius seem to think Heero's gonna pull his gun and start firing – this is all very interesting, I must say." Duo stalked forward, his eyes raking over Draco's figure top to bottom. "You're not carrying, except a wand of course, so I can rule out a gunfight." He held Draco's gaze with his. "And Wufei seems to think you're an okay kind of guy, which is a major point in your favour buddy."

Wufei snorted.

"So what I think," Duo continued, ignoring Wufei pointedly. "…is that you and Heero have a not-so-nice past meeting-type deal happening here. Bullies, enemies, childhood pals – something. Am I right?"

Ron choked. "Childhood pals?" Wufei put his hand on Ron's shoulder, and the redhead quieted. Sirius watched his godson's boyfriend with interest. 

"Okay, rule that out." Duo drew an imaginary line in the air. "This leaves enemies or bullies. Which to tell you the truth, doesn't sound like a good kind of choice."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Draco finally spat out, his eyes large, darting back and forth from Heero to Duo to Wufei and back again. "Potter? What the hell happened to you?"

Heero didn't say anything but he did keep staring. If Duo hadn't grown a kind of immunity to that look, it would be slightly alarming. Duo waggled his fingers in front of Draco's eyes, drawing his attention back again.

"Yo – Blondie? I'm talking here. You're doing the listening. Got it?" Duo gave him a thumbs up. "See, I'm kind of like a mediator – they tell me I'm good at talking."

"I believe Hilde said more along the lines that you never shut up."

"Quiet 'Fei! Anyway, see, the reaction Heero just gave? Means he's _thiiiissclose – "Duo held his fingers a millimetre apart. "- from pulling a gun on ya." He leaned in closer. "Any reason I should let him?"_

"You're insane!" Draco glared at him. "Potter? Weasely!" The confusion on his face had bypassed fear and was heading straight into fury. Heero cleared his throat.

"Relax Duo," he finally spoke up. "Malfoy is…an old classmate of mine."

"Really?" Duo cocked his head to one side. He folded his arms.  "And you want to kill him why?"

Heero snorted and cuffed the American lightly. "There's not going to be any killing."

Duo looked at him for a long moment, searching for something only he could see. Heero returned his gaze steadily. Finally Duo nodded, the serious look in his eyes seeming to vanish, and Wufei echoed the movement, sheathing his sword in one fluid movement. His dark eyes still held a question in their depths and Heero nodded.

"It's a long story. And I'd rather not tell it in front of strangers."

Draco glared. "What – you're just going to leave? Potter, I thought you were dead! And why do you look like that?"

Heero glanced back at Draco, a smirk on his face. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Malfoy."

"Then you'd better convince me." Draco glared. "I'm sure the Daily Prophet would be interested in hearing about your little resurrection."

Wufei cleared his throat. "I would like to know what is happening as well. Might I suggest that Draco accompany us back to the Burrow? In case we have to…quiet, any leaks."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" He didn't seem to like what Wufei's words implied. Sirius nodded, glancing around. 

"As it is, we seem to be drawing a crowd," he said, motioning to the people watching them in the pet store. Surreptitiously he pulled his cloak a little tighter around him. Ron turned bright red.

"Bring Malfoy back _HOME?" he barked. "Are you all stark raving __nutters?"_

"Better there then here," Duo said soothingly. "Less people. More private." He saw the tension still rising in Heero, and Sirius didn't seem too thrilled by the attention he was receiving. He jerked his head towards the door. "Let's move."

_____________________________________________________

They filed out of the building, Sirius, Ron and Heero ahead, and Wufei and Duo following behind the bewildered Draco Malfoy. Once Heero crossed the stoop of the store however, he came to an abrupt halt, one hand raised as he turned his gaze on the crowd. 

Heero would be the last person to ever say he was grateful to Doctor J for his training, but he couldn't help but be thankful he'd at least been thorough. The genetic enhancements the mad scientist had built into Heero only helped him on his missions. As a result, no matter how painful the procedures had been, Heero had grown used to depending on his abilities to alert him of danger.

Like now. Nerves pricked and itched with the tension he'd felt before. He had thought it was simply because he was out in the open – he cursed inwardly as he realized it was his training kicking in, alerting him of something not quite right. 

The signal Heero gave was immediately picked up on, and Duo and Wufei immediately scanned the streets for whatever had alerted their friend. 

Duo felt the hair stick up on the back of his neck as he finally registered that there was something going on. Something wasn't right. "Fei?"

"I know Maxwell." Wufei was the perfect picture of calm, one hand resting on his scabbard, the other slowly reaching behind his back.

"What are you doing?" Draco complained. "Let me go—"

"_HIT THE DIRT_!" Duo suddenly shouted, lunging forward and pushing Draco into Sirius and Ron, slamming all three of them to the ground in a heap behind a cart filled with strange food items, landing on top of them. Wufei had dropped to his knees the second Duo had cried out and he watched in amazement as a low beam of green light flashed through the crowd. 

Heero dodged rather then ducked the beam and Wufei tracked the source, scanning the rooftops of the old buildings. A scream came up from the crowd and he saw Duo whisper a harsh, "Stay _DOWN!" to the three beneath him as he clambered over them, heading in the direction the light had gone. Wufei knew he was going to check and see if there were any casualties. _

Heero scrambled back towards him, gun in hand. His face was set, jaw clenched tightly. Wufei didn't look at directly at him but pointed to the skyline. "It was a downward shot, coming from the rooftops in that direction. I don't see anyone yet."

"They might be invisible," Heero muttered, glaring at the empty ridge. Then his eyes narrowed as he caught a faint trace of movement. "Or not." He indicated with his hand, and Wufei nodded, bringing his gun around. He flicked off the safety.

Duo appeared on Wufei's other side. His face was blank; his eyes emotionless in the grip of Shinigami's persona, but his tone betrayed his anger. "One woman dead. No signs of trauma. Magic?"

Heero nodded tersely, jerking his head towards the Owl Emporium. "Rooftop, eleven o'clock. They're after me most likely."

"Better get ready to run then, lover-mine." Nodding at the columns holding up the awnings for the Emporium, Duo gave his arm a quick squeeze before he rolled to the side and disappeared into the fleeing crowd. Wufei watched the skyline intently. 

"Yuy?" _A plan would be a good thing right about then,_ was the unspoken thought between them.

"Cover them Wufei," Heero said, glancing calmly at Ron and Draco who hadn't moved, and were staring back with a mixture of fear and shock in their eyes. Wufei nodded and backed up a step, still hunched over. His gun was still aimed unerringly at the rooftops, but his free hand rested on his sword. Heero knew Wufei would protect them with his life if necessary. 

Sirius, on the other hand, had his wand out and crept back towards them. "Sirius?"

"I was an Auror before you were even dreamed about kid," Sirius said, brandishing his wand. His blue eyes were almost black with anger at their situation, and he stared back at Heero resolutely. "Guns aren't going to save you from the Killing Curse."

Heero looked like he wanted to argue, but then he gave in, nodding once. "Help Wufei protect Ron and Draco."

Sirius looked at him, startled, but then he nodded and moved back beside the Asian who grunted his approval at the exposed wand. But he couldn't help asking, "What about you?"

"That's what I keep Duo around for," Heero said absently, checking the clip in his gun and then turning his gaze back on the nearly deserted street. There was no sign of the long-haired American – as he knew there wouldn't be - but somewhere among the buildings, the over-turned carts and display cases, he knew Duo was waiting for him to move. So he did.

Dimly, he heard Sirius curse as Heero suddenly broke free of their tenuous cover, racing across the street like the devil himself was after him. _Which_, Heero thought as he leaped over a display of snake skins, _is probably very likely. He found it highly improbable that a deranged witch or wizard would show up in Diagon Alley and start firing off __Avada Kadavera's by mere coincidence. _

He raced on, trying to avoid the clumps of terrified witches and wizards that huddled against the buildings, trying to get out of the way. The last thing he wanted to do was to make an innocent civilian a target, and he waved at one cringing couple, warning them to stay behind the store's awning poles. The elderly gentleman, though obviously terrified, nodded and huddled closer to the wall, wrapping one arm around his wife in an effort to protect her.

Suddenly his senses screamed '_Ave Maria'; he rolled as a flash of light fried a stand that sold copies of the Daily Prophet, and he watched as a stack of Witch's Wizarding Weekly went up in a flash of fire and smoke. "Hn." His quickness was rewarded with the sound of a gun going off behind him. His distraction had obviously given Duo the target he had been waiting for._

Immediately he came to a stop. Turning around in a crouch, he was just in time to see a black-robed figure roll over the side of the Eyelops Owl Emporium with a scream, plummeting to the ground below. He watched the person hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Duo emerged from where he'd taken refuge behind one of the columns of a smaller building next to the Emporium, his gun still held in his sure grip. Heero jogged back, watching as Duo nudged the body with his boot, finally kneeling down to check for a pulse.

"Do you honestly expect one Maxwell?" Wufei asked from where he remained with Sirius and the two boys. His sword was still held loosely in his hand, but his gun was now pointed at the ground, the safety back on. "It was one of your shots after all."

"Better safe then sorry, Wuffers," Duo shrugged, placing two fingers against the cloth-covered throat. After a second, he shook his head, and stood back up.

Heero was aware of the crowd slowly coming back to life, frightened shopkeepers and their patrons moving forward. It was like watching a Muggle car wreck – no one could resist trying to take a look. Still, many of the Alley's occupants had disapparated as soon as the Killing Curse had hit, Heero noted, watching how few people were actually left. That reminded him….

He turned away from the body and headed back towards the pet store. He passed Ron and Draco who had a million questions die on their lips at the enraged look in his narrowed eyes, smouldering embers so close to erupting into flames. 

An elderly witch lay flat on her back, her sightless eyes gazing up at the sky in complete surprise. The green scar that marked the Killing Curse was right between her eyes. Heero sighed. He didn't have a clue who she was. His eyes travelled across what must have been her grocery bag, its contents strewn across the Alley floor. Just another innocent bystander, dead because she had chosen the wrong day to go shopping. 

Heero paused, and then knelt, touching her hand. Then he reached out and closed her eyes. The Ministry would likely handle the rest. 

Standing, he returned to the corpse. Sirius was crouching next to it, and was just about to rip the mask off when Duo snarled and produced a knife out of thin air. He was nothing but a blur as he whirled around and let loose the blade. It flashed through the air and struck a second black-robed figure that had suddenly emerged from Madam Malkin's clothing store, burying itself to the hilt. 

Heero didn't even have time to draw his gun before the person's wand fell from suddenly nerveless fingers as they keeled over.

"Anymore?" Duo asked rhetorically, another blade appearing between his finger and thumb. His words, though light, were punctuated by the deadly gleam in his violet eyes. Wufei's sword had come up the instant Duo had moved, and he now inserted himself between Heero and the second body, in case a third assassin would dare try his or her luck.

Suddenly there was a burst of popping noises as Ministry Aurors suddenly arrived. Sirius, still in shock over the swiftness of Duo's actions, and the cruel harshness in the eyes of the pilots, acted on instinct. Seconds later, a shaggy, black dog was crouched on the ground, watching warily as the dark grey and gold-trimmed robes of the officials swarmed ever closer. Absently, Heero let his hand drift to the dogs head, stroking one ear soothingly.

"P-Potter?"

Heero turned slightly and saw Draco still on the ground where Duo had thrown him and Ron. His silver-grey eyes were fixed on him; his already-pale skin had lightened about three shades. Ron's jaw was working silently, opening and closing, his eyes on the second body that had just been felled by a well-placed knife.

Wufei snorted and strode over to the second assassin, turning him over roughly. Beneath the dark mask, he could still hear a faint rasping sound, and he watched idly as the chest rose. The knife was firmly implanted in the chest, just below the heart and missing the lungs apparently. "This one's still alive. Losing your touch Maxwell?"

"I figure _one of them has to answer questions. We do. Why should he get off easy?"_

Heero shook his head. Trust Duo to think that death was preferable over questioning, though he supposed it had a lot to do with who your questioner was.

"**_WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?_**" an angry voice shouted. Heero sighed and turned to face a tall, muscular man clad in Ministry robes who was striding towards him, wand in hand. Underneath his hand, he could feel Sirius tense, a low growl escaping him, and he wondered who this person was.

The man brusquely pushed his way through the small crowd that was starting to gather, and slammed out his hand. A silver-plated card was thrust into Heero's face.

"Jason Armstrong. Auror-in-Chief. Who the hell are you?"

_______________________________________________________________

**End Chapter 21**

Well. So much for wanting this to be done in 20 chapters or less. *sighs* I still haven't even gotten them back to the bloody school yet. Can we say, 'dragged out'? I knew that you could.

So there you are – 12 pages (well, 11 if you skip the authors notes), the longest chapter yet. This ought to give me some breathing room. And more to come. And if you want more, you're gonna have to tell me by leaving a review. ^_^


	23. All Together Again!

Parallel A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy 

**Rating: **R

**Pairings:** 1x2, 3x4 

**Summary:** Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold. 

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn't I? ^^)

**Spoilers:** TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)

**Additional Notes: I am trying to keep track of everything but sometimes I forget things. However, I am fully aware of the mystery regarding Heero's wand – and will get to that when the time is right. Also, I did mention that Sally and Wufei are a couple – because they are. Sort of. However, I have plans (Parallel is shaping up to be very long, remember?) and we'll see what happens later on, especially when Wufei finds himself enjoying both Draco AND Ginny's company in upcoming chapters.**

**Additionally – Parallel has NOTHING to do with Book 5. For one thing – Sirius will never die in my world. ^^ For another, while I liked OotP well enough, there were a great many things I did NOT like – and simply don't want to use. If that bothers you, then you might want to stop reading. But as you can see, this fic STARTS at Year 6 – and I outlined (briefly) what happened in MY year 5. So don't look to OotP to have any startling ideas on me – and rest assured, Tonks and Umbridge will NEVER appear in my work. *snorts* Unless I'm feeling mean or desperate. Nor will that atrocious idea of Hagrid's half-brother – personally, I thought that whole deal regarding Hagrid' brother could have been removed from the book easily.*shrugs* My opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. **

**Finally, as usual, the chat room got a sneak peek at the first portion of chapter 22 on Sunday June 22 (fate, neh? ^^) and the rest of it when I finished it today (points at date below). For previews, fics, jokes, RPG-like behaviour and insanity, stop by the chat room every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday between 8pm and 1am Eastern time.**

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Chapter 22 (Sunday, June 29, 2003) 

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_Firmus__ qui sollicito_

The words stretched across the front of the building that lay adjacent to the Ministry, etched into the granite and marble and enchanted against erosion and weather-wear. Loosely translated, it meant 'keeping one's eyes firmly on the future'. It was something the Aurors who populated the building took very seriously. 

Drilled into them repeatedly, every morning, the words were almost as casually used as a greeting from one to another. After all, safety and security was all about seeing the danger coming before it hit you, to take it out before it did you. It was about keeping your senses keen, your mind sharp and staying alert, both on and off the job. All the training in the world couldn't save you if you had your head in the sand and your ass in the air.

Jason Armstrong had been the top Auror in his youth. He graduated from Hogwarts with top marks in his Newts, and quickly rose through the Auror ranks to make Captain within his first five years, a feat duplicated by only one other in the history of the Aurors. He firmly believed that constant vigilance – something hammered into him by his old trainer Moody – could do more to prevent lives then any amount of healing spells and protective wards. He prided himself on knowing what went on in the lives of every person under his care.

It was for that reason he considered the deaths of the Potters – top Aurors in their own right – to be his greatest failure. So much protection, so many resources and manpower expended to safeguard the hopes of the future, and he let two of his people get slaughtered, along with a host of innocent muggles.

For the longest time, he had firmly believed Sirius Black to be the murderer. The fact that Black never received a formal trial had been a mere drop in the ocean that was Ministry justice. If he thought about it hard enough, Jason could almost admit to himself that the sole reason he believed so firmly that Black was guilty was because it gave him an excuse as to why he hadn't protected James and Lilly better. But more then that, it was better to be angry. If he kept himself furious at Sirius, he didn't feel the heartbreak and utter grief that festered in his heart over Sirius' betrayal.

Jason could remember the first day Sirius, James, Remus and Lilly had shown up for Auror training. James, so obviously besotted with his young wife and determined to both impress and protect her. Lilly, determined to prove that her skill with Charms could easily match any other spell an opponent could throw at her. Remus Lupin, scared to be there when so many people thought he didn't deserve to even live, but eager to prove that his being a dark creature didn't make him a dark wizard. And Sirius, so cocky, brash and enthusiastic – Jason had been instantly reminded of himself, though he admitted silently he never would have dreamed of breaking so many rules as the four of them boasted about.

Sirius had been his pride and joy. In an officer's eye, there is no room for favourites, but Sirius' obvious skill and natural ability shone through the ranks of the newbie Aurors like a beacon. It truly was hard not to notice. 

Jason had gone harder on Black then anyone else, determined to see him take the role of Captain once he himself was ready to move on. He wanted a capable person in charge, and there was no one ready that he felt was even remotely qualified.

Aurors are and were a strange bunch. A good many of them were prejudiced and close-minded. It was something inevitable, despite the galleons the Ministry paid out for psychological counselling. Like Muggle police officers, it was something you had to learn to deal with in your own way. The fact that they constantly dealt with the scum of the wizarding world had turned their world a darker shade of the light they fought for, and their views on life and the people that inhabited it, slowly but surely began to turn cynical.

A perfect example was the general view on Remus Lupin. The Ministry had successfully argued that every Auror had the right to know that Remus was a werewolf, in order to protect themselves if necessary. The instant his secret had been revealed, Remus had been at the bottom of the pecking order, constantly taking the barbs and slings Aurors usually reserved for criminals. Only his friends had stood by him, making their team one of the most successful in the entire department. Their loyalty and commitment to each other was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Even when lies and rumours about the dark lord had threatened to break them up, their professionalism had carried them through their missions, and Jason had supported them whole-heartedly. He knew Sirius would be the perfect one to carry on as Captain – he had none of the prejudice of the other department heads, and was known throughout the station as a fair arbitrator. 

Then the dream team had been shattered, and without the support and protection of his friends, Remus had been cast out from the Aurors, too emotionally drained to defend himself. Sirius had been left to rot in Azkaban, and Jason had given Captaincy to some recruit that had neither the skills nor abilities of Black but had been the best of what had been left. He himself had become the Auror-in-Chief. 

_'Lucky me.'___

When word had come to Jason about the deaths of the Potters, and Black's subsequent capture, his grief had been instantly shoved beneath layers of rage and betrayal. It had taken a long time to deal with his feelings about Black, even longer before he could think of Sirius without wanting to storm Azkaban himself and demand to know 'WHY?!?' before personally _Avada Kadavaring_ the bastard himself.

Black's escape had been met with Armstrong assembling the best Aurors he could to track the man down, even though he knew in his heart that if Sirius Black didn't want to be found, then no one would EVER find him. He should know. He had trained Black himself personally. 

Then came the day that Sirius had been found innocent. Disbelief warred with incredulity over the decree, straight from the Ministry itself. Peter Pettigrew had been found, delivering a most profound message of Sirius' innocence. Jason had watched the trial proceedings – a mere formality, really – silently from the back of the courtroom. He had watched as Sirius had been declared free of all charges. Black had seemed to not care – still gaunt and haunted from his years in Azkaban, he now wore grief like a cloak in the wake of his godsons apparent death. His eyes were bleak, dead with the loss, and the sight sent chills through Jason.

The two could have been together years before if Jason had only insisted on doing a more thorough investigation. He had berated himself for even thinking that Black could have committed such atrocities to the very people he looked on as family. Black could have had more time with Harry before…..

Jason hadn't stuck around for much of the trial. The one question he'd had all those years had finally been answered, and the answer was one he never would have expected. Still, he thought bitterly, he should have known better. '_And you call yourself an Auror.'_

The past six weeks had been filled with memories being brought back almost against his will, and when the alarm went off that something big was going down in Diagon Alley, Jason had decided to go along with his best team. If nothing else, it would take his mind off his own problems. 

_'Denial is a very good thing.'_

He had been completely unprepared for the sight of two black-robbed figures, obviously dead, lying in front of a group of strangers, with the sons of Arthur Weasely and Lucious Malfoy crouching on the ground, looking scared to death. 

"**_What is going on here?_**" he demanded, his long stride eating up the ground beneath him. A large black dog was hunched near them, fur bristling and teeth bared in a snarl, but he had faced more dangerous looking creatures then that before. He pushed the last few people out of his way, striding up to the group and holding up his identification card to the first person he saw, a dark-haired boy with somewhat Asian features wearing muggle clothing.

"Jason Armstrong. Auror-in-Chief. Who the hell are you?"

________________________________________________________

Draco's mother had told him there would be days like this. He should have stayed in bed.

The house-elves burning his breakfast was a minor discomfort. And his father's eagle owl had left a nasty little present on the kitchen floor after delivering the morning post just as he entered. Thankfully though, a quick clean up by Murky the house elf and an equally fast curse on the owl's tail feathers had righted that. 

And certainly the day had started to brighten after that – hadn't he been given permission to go to Diagon Alley with a pocketful of galleons? And he met an interesting boy at the bookstore who was as intelligent as he, if a little naïve in terms of magic. So far, so good.

Even the shock of meeting Potter, someone he'd thought dead for weeks now. Shocking, yes – but possibly get-over-able, provided Weasely was stashed somewhere out of the way. 

_'The shock must setting in_.' Draco cursed his insatiable curiosity that had caused him to hesitate in stunning Weasely, Potter and the strange boys, including Wufei, when they had tried to herd him off to Merlin knew where. One minute he was being escorted away; the next, he was cowering in a heap with the redhead while a battle was fought right over top of them.

Draco blinked again, his eyes still wide, but needing the moisture. He finally managed a look at Weasely who was still gaping in horror at the dead body laying a few feet away, a black-handled dagger sticking out of the chest. Draco swallowed hard, and turned back to the long-haired boy he had thought was a girl who had stood up after examining the body with Wufei. The boy – '_Duo'_, he recalled faintly – had a smirk on his face.

"….why should he get off easy?" Draco heard him say. 

He had seen what the boy had done to the other one. Draco felt a little sick

"**_WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?_"**

Draco's head snapped up and he watched, his face turning even whiter as a burly, muscular man in official looking robes stormed over. The large dog Draco knew as Sirius Black had started growling deep in his throat, his fur bristling. Next to him, Ron was still focused on the body, not even noticing the new arrivals. His freckles stood out more then ever on his pale face.

"Jason Armstrong. Auror-in-Chief. Who the hell are you?"

The blonde Slytherin shook his head, summoning all the years of training he'd had at composing himself, and took a deep breath. He fixed his wary eyes on the boy he _knew was Harry Potter, as he traded looks with Wufei and Duo before stepping forward._

"Heero Yuy," he said calmly, his voice steady and low. Draco was surprised to see such composure from the Gryffindor. And what was with the 'Heero Yuy' bit anyway? "Two Death Eaters attacked me and my friends. We defended ourselves." A small smile graced his face. "You can see the results for yourself."

Armstrong looked unbelieving. "You and your little friends here took out TWO Death Eaters?" His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and he gestured roughly to one of the Aurors to go to the other body a short distance away. Already the crowds had started to come back as curiosity set in. Draco assumed the man didn't want anyone contaminating his 'crime scene'.

"Sir." Potter nodded firmly. Duo suddenly knelt by the second body, across from Draco, and drew the dagger out with a soft squelching sound. Draco turned green.

"And who are your friends that helped you out?" Armstrong demanded. "I want names. Now!"

"Chang, Wufei," Wufei said, just as calmly as Heero. Draco, startled, glanced over. Wufei looked utterly unimpressed at the man's angry voice, and even a little bit bored. Another Auror, the name Mako on a tag on his robes, noticed Wufei's sword and gave the boy a strange look. Draco waited, but the agent didn't do anything else. Duo was next.

"Duo Maxwell, at your service!" He said cheerfully. He took a strange, see-through object from his pocket and dropped the dagger into it. He then presented it to Armstrong. "Here. For evidence. But I want it back."

Armstrong blinked at the long-haired, skinny boy who looked like a strong breeze would knock him over, accepting the bag somewhat numbly. "YOU killed that person?" 

"He was going to kill my boyfriend," Duo drawled in a tone reminiscent of Draco's. "I tend to take that kind of thing sort of personally." Had Draco not been so stunned, he would have applauded.

"Sir?" A second Auror strode up to the group and saluted. "The other is dead of course, but there's a hole in his chest. He wasn't killed with magic." 

"Well?" Armstrong glared at the group. No one moved. After a minute, Heero nudged Duo sternly.

Duo sighed, and reached behind his back, pulling out the strange weapons Draco had seen them all use, and handed it over, muttering," ..take away ALL my toys…"

"A gun?" Armstrong blinked. The second Auror accepted the weapon somewhat gingerly. "What are you doing with a muggle weapon?"

No one answered. The other Auror blinked, as though unsure of what to do. "Sir?"

Armstrong waved the other off. He looked like he was about to blow, when his eyes finally fell on Draco. '_Oh boy.' "MALFOY's kid? What the hell are YOU doing here?"_

Draco swallowed again. "….I'm not entirely sure," he offered weakly. His mind was still whirling. His mother would never let him go anywhere alone, ever again. His father would kill him. That settled it.

He should have stayed in bed.

________________________________________________________

Jason resisted the urge to massage the bridge of his nose and stoutly ignored the pain starting to spread up his neck. He just _knew_ his physician was going to have stern words with him later for adding even more stress to his life.

Two dead men dressed in Death Eater robes. Three armed kids who took them down. A large dog that looked vaguely familiar, if only he could think straight for a minute. Muggle weapons. And now to find the son of Lucius Malfoy right in the middle of it, looking shocked and sick.

Something big was happening right in front of him but damned if he knew what it was. With a sigh that he masked through years of practice, he took a second to scan his other team. Mako had taken charge, splitting the team up to handle the work. They had succeeded in backing away curious onlookers and the first body was being levitated into the air. The second body was being looked over by one his trusted Lieutenants, an enterprising young witch named Eva Brown. The third body was being guarded until more Aurors arrived from headquarters to assist – there were a lot of witnesses Jason wanted questioned. He turned back to the group of teens. '_Like them, for instance.'_

Before he could demand some however, a shout rang out from down the street, and another small group of people joined the scene. A blonde boy raced down the cobblestone road, followed by a brown-haired boy, a curly-haired girl and a redhead. They were pushing their way past the crowds, clearly intent on joining the ones in front of him. 

Eva's head snapped up and she raised a wand automatically, but was stunned when Heero brushed past her, pushing her hand so her wand pointed harmlessly at the sky. He held up his hand to stop her from retaliating. With a flash of her blue eyes, she nodded stiffly and pocketed her wand, though she kept a wary on the boy. The blonde skidded to a halt in front of Heero, his face calm but his eyes flashing.

"Status?"

"We're fine Quatre," Heero said quietly, smiling slightly. The boy – _Quatre_, Jason filed the name away for future reference – nodded and then beamed. 

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"I think you've got me confused with Duo," Heero returned easily. "And it's him who did all the dirty work."

Quatre shook his head. "I am NOT surprised."

"HEY!" Duo shouted indignantly. Quatre grinned and then frowned and walked over to where Ron and the Malfoy boy were still sitting. 

"What happened?" gasped the curly-haired girl. "Har-Heero? Ron? MALFOY?" Her voice shook as her eyes remained riveted on the second corpse being levitated.

"Are you guys all right?" chimed the small redhead. The tall, brown-haired boy didn't say anything, but was checking everyone out with one piercing green eye, verifying for himself that everyone was in one piece. The subtle way he did it, as well as the cat-like prowl he did around the Aurors, picking out the location of their wands beneath their robe sleeves, screamed '_training!!!'_ At Jason. He snarled.

"That's it. You're all coming with me so I can get some decent answers out of you!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," a voice cut in smoothly.

Jason's eyes snapped to the side. "And why no—" he stopped as he registered the familiar face standing there. 

Long black hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A weathered face, a little more strained looking then he remembered, but the eyes were still as bright and dangerous as he remembered. Jason frowned, some of the wind taken out of his sails as he realized who it was. A cold ball materialized in the pit of his stomach, but he kept his face placid as he nodded his acknowledgement.

"Sirius."

"Hello Jason."

________________________________________________________

Quatre ducked past Heero, pausing long enough to clap a hand on Duo's shoulder before reaching Ron and the other boy. The two boys looked like they were seconds from complete shock, and Quatre's concern for them overrode his concern for the others, now that he no longer sensed any immediate danger. Heero, Duo and Wufei, he was confident could handle themselves, but Ron was looking quite sick, and the blonde was as white as a ghost.

"Ron?" he asked gently. "Are you okay?" He felt Trowa's presence behind him, automatically watching his back while his attention was focused elsewhere. The redhead was gulping in big shaky breaths and his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"He killed them! Both of them!" he gasped out, staring up at the soothing gaze of the blonde. "He…he…" Ron couldn't speak anymore, and clamped his lips shut.

"I know he did Ron," Quatre said quietly, laying a hand on Ron's arm. "I could feel Duo's turmoil – that's why we came back as fast as we could." He shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry we weren't fast enough."

"Not your fault," the other boy said faintly. Quatre looked over and smiled reassuringly.

"My name's Quatre," he said, holding out his hand. 

The boy stared at him in surprise – and then hesitantly reached out to grasp it, shaking it firmly. "Draco."

Quatre had an impression of fear, anger, surprise, shock and even more fear. He shook his head again to rid himself of the other's emotions, and then concentrated on sending nothing but soothing warmth. His space heart didn't allow for telepathy, and focused more on receptive empathy, but if he tried hard enough…….sure enough, the fear in Draco's eyes started to clear a little, and some of the color began seeping back into his face.

He smiled. "Are you two okay?" he asked again, this time including Draco. They nodded. Quatre knew realistically they weren't, but at least they weren't on the verge of passing out anymore. He placed a comforting hand on Ron's knee, squeezing lightly to remind Ron he wasn't alone there. The redhead looked at the hand, and then up at his face, giving him a shaky smile, recovering a bit of his composure.

Trowa tapped his arm and Quatre swung his gaze around to see Sirius and the large Auror staring at each other. Sirius was clenching his fingers around his wand so tight he could see the white from where he knelt. The tension was thickening almost _tangibly, and Heero looked ready to intervene on his godfather's behalf.Quatre sighed._

"Back in a sec," he told the two. He gave Ron's knee one last pat and gestured for Hermione to take his place. The curly-haired girl nodded, and she and Ginny joined the two boys under Trowa's protection. Smiling, Quatre turned and jogged over to the others. 

Trowa remained where he was; content to watch over the two from a vantage point where he could see everything, including the body of the elderly woman being magically lifted carefully by another Auror. A brief look of pity flashed behind green flecks before it settled back into blankness.

Quatre stepped between the two larger wizards and held out his hand to the larger man who shook it almost automatically. "Mr…?" he cocked his head at the Auror, as though listening to something only he could hear.

"Armstrong. Jason Armstrong."

"Mr Armstrong," Quatre nodded and flashed a brief smile and a nod at Heero who nodded back slightly. "I know you want answers, but here is not the best place for them."

"Correct, Mr Winner," came a new voice this time. Everyone turned to see Minerva McGonagall striding towards them. Her eyes, sharp behind her glasses, rested on each of them for a brief moment. "Professor Dumbledore would like you all to return with me to Hogwarts so we can sort this out. Mr Armstrong?" She inclined her head firmly at him.

Jason eyed his old professor for a long minute. Minerva McGonagall was a respected and trusted member of the Hogwarts staff, revered by her students for her mastery over Transfigurations, and was well-spoken of by many high-ranking members of the Ministry. Personally, he remembered her as a stern taskmaster, but a fair teacher. If she and Dumbledore were involved, then it must be even bigger then he thought. With that in mind, he nodded once, accepting her terms. His Lieutenant blanched and turned to face him.

"Sir, I don't think you—" Jason cut her off with a firm look.

"Transport the bodies and get someone to do a full autopsy. And then I want a 'Prior Incantito' done on their wands. Immediate team only and don't allow _anyone else access until I return. Is that clear, Lieutenant Brown?" His tone brooked no disobedience._

"Sir!" Eva saluted, and then turned back to her work. Jason nodded with satisfaction and then glared at McGonagall.

"Well?"

"Mr Malfoy, you will accompany us," the professor said briskly. "Owls have already been sent to your home, and the Burrow, Mr and Miss Weasely, and your parents shall arrive at Hogwarts within the hour. If you'll all gather 'round, I have a port-key that will go take us there." She held up a long, Gryffindor scarf.

Heero grasped a section of scarf and nodded at the others. Duo, Sirius, Hermione, Ginny, Wufei and Quatre followed suit. Trowa helped Ron and Draco up and ushered them over to take hold of the scarf and took the end for himself and Armstrong. Minerva looked around to make sure she didn't forget anyone and then tapped her wand once on the scarf.

"_Activus," she intoned, and then the group disappeared._

________________________________________________________

Jason's in for a surprise! Will they trust him with _everything_? Gonna have to wait and find out. ^^

Yeah, this chapter took a bit of time – I was writing other fics, getting caught up on my art and creating a new 'chat features' section for my page – which is in desperate need of an update. ^^ A friend, **Chibiange**, did a side fic starring Sirius and Remus (licks lips) for me which will be posted there as soon as I get to it. Probably tonight or tomorrow at some point.

Not to mention I have a life outside of the fandom, and as much as I want to be able to do nothing but write and draw, occasionally I have to do things like work. ^^

Thank you for all the comments, suggestions, reminders and tips! I read Every. Single. Comment. And I consider your words carefully – I even make notes when someone catches something I didn't so I can address it later on. I have post-it's all over my desk!

What I'm getting at is your feedback means a good deal to me – and though I may not have time to respond to everyone individually, it doesn't mean I haven't read what you have to say.

**Specifically, I'd like to thank: **

**Tiamatorin – for your ideas about the Squib Theory. I know there are some holes in mine, but I never once claimed to be a biologist – I tried to keep it something simple yet believable. I'm sorry it was working for you, but your ideas are interesting. Maybe I'll re-work the idea in a future chapter. ^^**

**Ergonykos** – You're right. The canon Draco IS violent. But I also don't like canon Draco very much – he's a one dimensional character that hasn't experienced any growth whatsoever in the books, remaining as childish and mean-tempered as he was in year one. You'll see a lot of Draco to come, including year 5 from him – where he grew up a little. I have no intention of making Draco a soppy, sappy do-gooder though – he's sarcastic, spoiled, brilliant and wants everyone to know it. He loves power and being in positions of authority (personally, I think he'd make a wonderful Auror). But he also knows right from wrong – he may not agree with Dumbledore, Harry etc on everything, and he'll certainly never win the 'nicest personality' award but he's not a murderer. I made him grow up a bit in my fic since JKR won't let him in hers. 

You also made some good comments at Quatre – you've seen him in action this chapter, you'll see more to come. But he can't sense creatures per say – he can only get emotions, and he usually has to be touching the person, unless he shares a bond with them, as he does from working for years with the other pilots, or with those he considers family.

**Weather Marmalade** - ^^ To be perfectly honest, I've been working so hard on the storyline within the HP world, I haven't really thought of them returning. Certainly Quatre and Trowa will, but as for Wufei…well, that goes along with what I said up at the top – we'll have to see. I don't think Heero will want to go home, and you know Duo will go wherever he is.

Additionally, the potion used to transport them in the first place is still at Snape's disposal, and 'returning' needn't be as climactic and heart-wrenching as one would think…^^

**Arabian Babe** – sleeping arrangements will be clarified when the boys return to the Burrow after their 'interrogation'. ^^ THAT I fully admit I forgot to clear up – thanks for pointing that out. ^^

**Feedback please?**


	24. chapter preview

**Just a preview of the next chapter. More to come soon, I hope. ^^**

**_______________________________________________________________**

24 January 2004

_______________________________________________________________

The sights and sounds of Diagon Alley disappeared and were replaced almost instantly with the familiar view of the Great Hall. Sirius landed easily, his balance undisturbed after years of traveling via port key. His years of imprisonment hadn't been able to remove at least that bit of ingrained training.

His eyes flew to where Heero was helping Duo regain his balance. The American looked as cheerful as always, and so he moved on to make sure the others were doing just as well. Quatre was smiling a little shakily, but Trowa seemed to look as though traveling through nothing was as easy as falling off a log. 

Wufei was crouched near Ron and Draco who had landed in a tangled heap, their balance thrown off after the shock of witnessing two deaths right in front of their eyes, no doubt. The girls on the other hand, seemed to be made of sturdier stuff. Ginny and Hermione stood next to the boys, awaiting everyone's next move. 

Then his eyes met Jason's and he couldn't suppress the small pang of hurt that materialized in the pit of his stomach. It was odd seeing the other man after so many years. Of all the people Sirius had never wanted to disappoint in his life, Jason Armstrong was definitely one of them. Jason had rescued him from his father's beliefs and helped make him into one of the best Aurors of his time. He smiled – _even if I do say so myself_. That Jason had believed him capable of killing his best friends was almost as bad as Remus not believing in his innocence.

Enough speculation. Sirius turned his gaze away from the larger man, and focused on Minerva who was dusting off her robes. "Where do we go Minerva?"

"The Great Hall will suffice," Dumbledore spoke up from behind them. "There are far too many of us to all be seated comfortably in my office." His usual smile had been replaced with one far older and wearier, as though he were mentally preparing for battle. "The house elves are bringing refreshments. I'm sure most of you could use a hot drink."

_Or a strong one_. Sirius shook his head first, and then nodded. "Come on guys."

He began to herd the group through the main doors. Draco and Ron needed to be prodded a bit, but he got them moving. Jason followed slowly, watching them all with barely-tempered impatience. "Stuff it Jase, you'll get your explanation in a minute." He really wasn't in the mood to deal with the older mans crap yet.

His nerves were still wound up from the – _not a battle, right? Jesus but it might as well have been – _altercation. Seeing the pictures in his godsons apartment, hearing the stories, seeing the Preventors building – none of it had prepared him for the truth behind the words. And he would not soon forget the sight of his godson calmly checking the clip of his gun before sprinting headlong into sure danger. _Christ, he could've been killed…_

With that thought in mind, he glanced back to Duo, his eyes slightly narrowed. The longhaired boy had killed two men in cold blood and looked like he wasn't even thinking about his actions. Shooting one man – _not a man, a Death Eater scumbag – _off the roof of Madam Malkins store, and he didn't even want to think about the skill, strength and precision needed to throw a knife at a person with such accuracy AND without killing. This was the kind of person his godson loved?

His initial acceptance of them both hadn't wavered, but his assessment of them was undergoing a rapid rearrangement. He remembered talking to Dumbledore about getting proper protection for the boys and couldn't help but chuckle. It looked like the boys were going to be the ones protecting them.

Heero looked back at the sound, one eyebrow raised questioningly at Sirius's obvious amusement. Sirius shook his head and waved them on. He had no intention of encouraging the boy to take risks, after all.

They gathered around one of the large tables. Sirius recognized it as the one belonging to Ravenclaw, and saw that Heero had been the one to choose the location. He guessed it had something to do with avoiding the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry that was sure to break out if they had settled down at the Gryffindor table. It was good thinking – he hadn't even thought of that. 

"When are my parents arriving?"

Draco's voice broke the stillness. It was quieter then Sirius remembered, the boy was probably still in shock, and his eyes darted warily around the table before settling on the headmaster.

"They're on their way Draco." Dumbledore briefly touched the boy's shoulder in a comforting gesture before taking his own seat. "They cannot apparate into Hogwarts but they can to Hogsmede. They will be here soon."

"But no one's going anywhere until I get some answers," Jason said gruffly. He remained standing watching everyone like they were all about to try and escape. "Starting with who you are, where you came from, why YOU – "he pointed at Duo and Heero. " – have muggle weaponry, and what happened down to the precise detail." He glared around the table. "Who wants to start?"

Big bluster. That would go over real well. Sirius rolled his eyes. Minerva frowned. "I hardly think your bullying tactics are required here, Mr. Armstrong. Regardless of what happened in Diagon Alley, they are still children, and not hardened criminals." Her eyes narrowed sharply, and Sirius was suddenly reminded of being on the end of that gaze during his school years. He bit back a brief surge of pity for Jason. Minerva pinned the Auror in place with her eyes. "Do try to be somewhat civil please. I remember you were such a polite and upstanding young man when you attended Hogwarts. I should hate to have to change my opinion of you now." Her voice, though courteous, was wrapped in layers of steel, daring him to defy her in any way.

Sirius stifled a snicker at the surprise on Jason's face before the large Auror deflated somewhat and nodded grudgingly.  

Heero sighed and stood up. "Where do you want to do this?"

Jason blinked at the boy in confusion. Heero scowled. 

"It's standard procedure to separate the witnesses before interviewing them," Duo put in helpfully, giving the Auror a sunny smile. "You know, so we can't concoct alibis and stories and mess with each others perceptions of events." His eyes were wide with fake innocence.

Obviously Jason wasn't buying his sincerity. Sirius watched, amused as Jason tried to match Heero's scowl. " I know what the proper procedure is for muggles. But there's no point in any of you lying to me."

The animagus growled softly beneath his breath and sent a warning glare to his former boss. "They're too young to use _veritasium_ on, so don't even think about threatening them with it."

"Please, Black." Jason sent him a withering look as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Opening it carefully, he withdrew a small glass orb and set it on a crystal stand on the table. Sirius nodded as he recognized the object and sat back. Hermione looked at it curiously.

"What's that?"

"A Truth-Ball," Jason replied. "Whenever one of you lies or tries to hide the truth from me, it glows. The strength of the glow reflects the strength and size of the lie you tell."

"You use this for minors or those who cannot be subjected to the spell Sirius mentioned?" Quatre asked, obviously wanting clarification. Jason nodded shortly.

"Veritasium isn't a spell. It's a potion designed to make you answer truthfully any question put forth to you." He gestured to the ball. "This is generally used on children, or young wizards and witches. They can't perform wandless magic, especially at such a young age, and do not have the power to keep the orb from detecting deceit. Older wizards and witches can probably trick it, which is why we have veritasium. But this is more then sufficient for you."

Sirius had to keep himself from grinning. Heero was rolling his eyes, and even Dumbledore and Minerva seemed amused. After all, hadn't Harry been in the process of refining his wandless magic skills before he….

Sirius blinked and pushed the memories away again. Damn, but he was getting good at the whole repression bit. 

Jason was staring expectantly at Heero, who rolled his eyes again, and began to tell what happened.

****


End file.
